The 37th edition of the Rhino Charge 2026 will take place on Saturday, May 30, in Ngilai, Samburu County, bringing together 65 vehicles for the annual off-road competition that raises funds for environmental conservation.
This year’s event will feature competitors in three categories Modified, Super Modified and Unmodified including Safaricom-supported teams EV Explorers led by Richard Kiplagat, AK44 led by Adil Khawaja, and the all-women team Zambarau Heels on Wheels.
The Rhino Charge is organised to support the work of Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust, which focuses on the conservation and protection of Kenya’s mountain ecosystems, commonly referred to as the country’s water towers.
The Rhino Charge 2026 edition has received KSh114 million in sponsorship support from M-PESA Foundation and Safaricom PLC.
Of the total amount, M-PESA Foundation committed KSh94 million towards Rhino Ark conservation programmes, including the protection of the Mount Elgon Forest (Suam Block) and restoration efforts in the Mau Forest Complex across Narok, Kericho and Bomet counties.
Safaricom contributed KSh20 million to support participating teams and provide network connectivity during the event.
Under the sponsorship arrangement, Car No. 44 received KSh15 million, while EV Explorers and Zambarau Heels on Wheels each received KSh1 million. The remaining KSh3 million was allocated to communication and connectivity support.
“The car is in great condition and the entire team is excited and ready to take on the course. I would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors, especially Safaricom and M-PESA, for their tremendous support,” said Adil Khawaja, team lead of Car No. 44 (AK44).
Last year’s Rhino Charge was held at Simo-Soi in Baringo North and raised KSh269.5 million for conservation activities.
Car No. 44, led by Khawaja, emerged as the top fundraising team after raising KSh139.8 million. Car No. 23, led by Peter Kinyua, raised KSh13.5 million, while Car No. 63 under Tim Carstens raised KSh8.6 million.
Rhino Ark Executive Director Christian Lambrechts said preparations for Rhino Charge 2026 competition had been completed, with all participating vehicles undergoing scrutineering ahead of the event.
“The stage is fully set for Rhino Charge 2026, with 65 car entries ready to take on the challenge. Today’s scrutineering process was focused on ensuring that all participating vehicles meet the required standards, and I am pleased to confirm that everything is in place, including the necessary security arrangements,” he said.
On the other hand, the EV Explorers team is coming back to the Rhino Charge 2026 competition with an electric vehicle having created history last year as the first ever EV to compete in the competition.
“This represents our second appearance in the Rhino Charge 2026 competition using an electric car after creating history last year when we competed in this competition using an electric vehicle for the first time ever,” Richard Kiplagat, the leader of the EV Explorers team, noted.
Rhino Charge continues to be one of the most popular off-road racing competitions in Kenya where participants use motor racing to raise funds for conserving water towers in Kenya.
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