British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has gifted President Uhuru Kenyatta a model car from the 1962 East African Safari Rally, as a symbol of their good relationship.
The model car, whose specifications are ‘Trofeu 1509 Saab 96 #5 East African Safari Rally 1962 Pat Moss 1/43 scale’, retails for Sh13,500 on eBay.
In a statement, the British High Commission in Kenya said: “The Prime Minister knows rallying is close to the President’s heart and wanted to acknowledge the success of bringing the Safari Rally back to Kenya this year. This model car was a demonstration of the warmth of the two leaders’ relationship.”
The Safari Rally has returned to Kenya after a 19-year hiatus. It is regarded as the toughest race in the World Rally Championship because riders have to cover long distances in difficult conditions.
While flagging off the event at the KICC in Nairobi in June, Mr Kenyatta noted that it is significant to Kenya’s history.
“In 2013, I made a pledge to my fellow citizens that we would bring the Safari Rally back home. I also promised that I would return the Safari Rally to its position as one of the International Automobile Federation and the World Rally Championships’ toughest rallies,” he said at the time.
At the end of the championship, which Frenchman Sebastien Ogier won, the President announced that the government and the two bodies had reached a deal for Kenya to host the Safari Rally until 2026.
Prime Minister Johnson’s gestures comes after President Kenyatta toured the United Kingdom last week, co-hosting the Global Education Summit with PM Johnson and sealing several key deals for Kenya.
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