By Ongaga Ongaga
Team Huzi successfully defended its Rhino Charge crown on Sunday as the 2026 edition of Kenya’s iconic off-road motorsport event raised a record KSh365.4 million for conservation and community development projects.
Held at Ngilai Conservancy in Samburu East Constituency, the 37th Rhino Charge attracted 60 competitors who tackled the region’s rugged, roadless terrain in support of conservation efforts spearheaded by Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust.
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The event raised KSh365,376,748, surpassing last year’s KSh269.5 million collection and reinforcing its position as one of Africa’s leading conservation fundraising initiatives.
President William Ruto presided over the prize-giving ceremony and hailed the event’s contribution to environmental conservation and protection of Kenya’s water towers.
“This event has no equal in Kenya, nor anywhere in Africa,” the President said, praising competitors, sponsors and organizers for their commitment to conservation.
Ruto noted that Rhino Charge, which began in 1989 as a fundraiser to construct a 38-kilometre electric fence around the Aberdare ecosystem, has evolved into one of the continent’s most successful conservation platforms.
“This is sport in its purest and most demanding form,” he said. “You race not only against the clock and against one another, but in service of this nation’s future. That is the noblest form of sport there is; where every kilometre conquered protects a kilometre of forest.”
The President also launched the Rhino Ark Endowment Fund and announced that the Government would match a KSh100 million contribution made by the Rhino Ark Board.
“The Government will match that commitment, shilling for shilling,” he said while urging private sector partners to support the initiative.
On the competition front, defending champions Team Huzi Car 33, entered by Oliver Outram, retained the overall title after another dominant display of navigation, endurance and teamwork across Samburu’s challenging landscape.
Car 3, the Hatarious Chargers led by Gurmeet Mehta, finished second, while Patrick Garner’s Braeburn Seven Squared team took third place.
In the fundraising category, Adil Khawaja’s Team AK44 once again emerged as the top fundraiser, collecting a remarkable KSh216.3 million. It marked the team’s fourth consecutive fundraising victory and shattered its own 2025 record of KSh139 million.
Rhino Ark Chairman Peter Kinyua said the organization remains focused on “protecting forests, reducing human-wildlife conflict, strengthening the livelihoods for the forest-adjacent communities, as well as increasing the resilience of our vital montane ecosystems to the impacts of climate change.”
Kinyua revealed that Rhino Ark has protected more than 652,000 hectares of forest habitat and wildlife over the past 37 years and that its fencing programme now safeguards more than 90,000 households from human-wildlife conflict.
In a direct benefit to the host community, KSh9.16 million from this year’s proceeds will be invested in community priority projects in Samburu.
Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano said Rhino Charge has raised more than KSh2.8 billion over its 37-year history, supporting conservation initiatives in ecosystems including the Aberdares, Mount Kenya, Eburu, Kakamega and the Mau Forest Complex.
Organizers said the event had once again demonstrated how adventure motorsport can drive conservation, community development and environmental stewardship while helping protect Kenya’s critical water towers for future generations.
