OneLife Rally supercars bring Voi town to a standstill

Voi,

Saturday, November 4, 2023

KNA by Wagema Mwangi

Voi town on Friday roared to life as hundreds of excited motor-show fans and car enthusiasts in Taita-Taveta County flocked Moi Stadium to witness a spectacular parade of rare supercars that made a stop-over during the One Life Rally, Safari Kenya.

Some supercars in this inaugural motor parade in the region were a Porsche 911 GT3, a Lamborghini Urus, a Ferrari 458, a Ford Raptor F150 and a Porsche Cayenne E-hybrid amongst others.

The fans braved the sweltering heat in the dusty stadium to gawk at the opulence of the high-performance vehicles as others lined up to take quick selfies alongside the cars under the watchful eyes of security officers.

The One Life Rally, an annual global event that brings together people focused on adventure and charity, started in 2017. The event takes place across seven countries and is the only car rally that adopts open-style policy where visitors can approach the cars, touch them and occasionally be allowed inside.

In Kenya, the event started in Nairobi on 28th of October and will end on 4th November at Malindi. In between, the rally went through Maasai Mara, Amboseli and Tsavo National Park.

Nick Papis, CEO and founder of One Life Rally, said his team was thrilled at the reception and support they had received from stakeholders. He said they hoped to be back again for more adventure and interactions with Kenyans.

“It has been amazing and we hope to be back and interact more with our fans and friends,” he said.

Antonio Colleluori, CEO for One Life Rally in Africa, termed the event as fascinating and hailed the sporting spirits of the local residents.

Taita-Taveta Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo who joined residents at the stadium for the Voi stop-over thanked the visitors and asked them to make the region a substantial station where they could spend a few days and sample the culture and tourism sites.

She further said the county was willing to partner with the organizers of the event to make it more inclusive and encourage local participation.

“We are honoured to have these guests here with us. We welcome them next time and hope they will stay longer,” she said.

Carl Tundo, the chair of Kenya's World Rally Champion (WRC) rally project was the team leader of the group.

Despite the excitement, some fans expressed their dismay that some of the supercars they had longed to see in action were riding on flatbed trucks.

Silas Mbayi, a footballer, said he had never seen a Porsche 911 GT3 and had travelled from Mwatate hoping to see the car’s legendary speed.

“They say this car has over 300km/hr in terms of speed. I had hoped to see if that’s true only to find it strapped on the back of the truck. I wondered if it has mechanical issues,” he said.

Other fans defended the trucking of the supercars, suggesting that local roads with potholes and many bumps did not meet the quality of such cars.

“These cars will simply stall if they use our roads. They were brought for exhibition. Like trophies,” suggested Alex Mwandau, a trader.

Of the dozen cars in the parade, only the Porsche and the Ferrari were being carried on flatbed trucks.

To atone for any disappointment, the final car in the parade; a modified Mitsubishi, conducted a spectacular multiple heart-stopping spins around the stadium that triggered a massive dust storm as the delirious crowd shrieked and fled.

Courtesy; KNA