Shegu rues lack of female drivers ahead of Safari Rally showdown

The last two editions of the World Rally Championship (WRC) leg, the Safari Rally, put Kenya on the global map as a beacon of hope for women in motorsports.

About 10 women including Jennifer Malik/Wangui Mungai, Pauline Shegu/Linet Ayuko, Tinashe Gatimu/Carolyne Gatimu and Natasha Tundo/ Shantal Young enjoyed government support dubbed Talanta Hela Crew which gave them a chance to compete with the big boys of the sport in the rough terrains of Naivasha in 2023 and 2024.

Others like Lisa Christoffersen, Tash Tundo and 2022 WRC3 category champion Maxime Wahome strived in their own ways to be part of the game that normally markets Kenya as a top sports tourism destination.

Sadly, this global accolade for Kenya as an inspiration to women drivers will be a pale shadow this season as Pauline Shegu and her co-driver Ayuko are the only women standing to battle men in the WRC category in 2025.

But again, Shegu is headed to the world showdown slated for Naivasha on March 20-23 already limping, as she has not had enough time to panel beat her Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X which is still lying in the garage.

Due to limited funds, the duo has not had adequate training sessions with the car including performing convincing test drives to know what to add or replace in the vehicle.

"It has been tough; rally is a very expensive sport and that's why all the other women we were with in the 2023 and 2024 seasons have opted out of the Safari Rally this year. For example, I need like Sh4 million to effectively take part in the rally this year," said Shegu who received a Sh500,000 boost in Nairobi on Wednesday from Kenya Electricity Generating firm KenGen.

KenGen Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Peter Njenga noted that they have partnered with Shegu and Enashipai Resort and Spa during the coming rally to promote sustainable solutions on climate change.

Shegu, who was grateful for the funding said: "It is quite disheartening to see women drop out of Safari Rally due to lack of funds, I urge the govt and the private sector to come to their aid. If you support women, then that sponsorship will not be in vain, as women have this tendency to inspire others even if they don't make it to the podium like men."

Being the only woman driver in the WRC category, where she is also gunning to gather points for the African Rally Championship (ARC) and the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC) series, Shegu believes she will still be an inspiration to other women eager to be part of the game.

Following the support from KenGen yesterday, Shegu is now raring to go and the first stop will be on the rough terrains of Gilgil to test the car this Sunday. She prefers the location as it has a similar landscape like Naivasha.

She also gels well with her co-driver Ayuko to defuse tension that normally pops up behind the wheel during the stormy competition.