 We are back to the touch line here on Y254. It's a big week that we have been experiencing in the world of sport and now we turn our attention to the Kenya motor sport and that is majorly the Safari rally. In 2019 Kenya will be hosting the WRC candidate event that is going to happen here in Kenya to see if Kenya is actually ready to host the 2020 World Rally Championship here in the country. It's been a very long time since 2002 when Kenya lost this event to Turkey and we are hoping that by 2020 Kenya can gain this event. Joining us here in studio is one veteran rally navigator Abdul CD who has also turned out to be one of the best Safari rally journalists this country has ever produced. Mr. Abdul, welcome to the touch line here on Y254. There's been a long time since you were here last. Thank you so much. It's nice to be back here at KBC and my early days at KBC was in the forefront and live shows and all that used to happen. Mama Jugona was one of your guys I remember. Thank you for getting me here. This is the youngest station for KBC now it's Y254. I can see all the young people here. All the young people here. So we started off with the motor sport calendar is actually open and the first race that went on was Baldev Shaga winning the Kajiado Rally Championships last weekend. What is your take from the rally last weekend? What was the performance like? That was the second event of the calendar. The first rally was the Nakuru Rally organized by Rift Valley Motorsports Club and the event was won by Onkar Rai. Unfortunately Onkar didn't take part in the Kenya Motorsports Club Rally which was the second round of the 2019 Baldev Chaga, former Safari Rally champion, former national champion and former winner of the event. The general feeling was KBC organized a very good event. Stages were smooth, drivers didn't complain and I think because the stages were that smooth there were 12 dropouts which is the largest so far this season and I think last year when the 27 cars which started and 12 fell to finish, no accident was mechanical. But we are running an event. Well as we are talking about the rallies that will be happening here in the country, one of your students last year actually we played that clip because of Tuta, when we did that story it was last year but one Tuta just joined your school, the Abdul Sidi Rally Academy and last year she was voted the sports personality of the year. What was that like for the Abdul Sidi Rally Academy? To me self satisfaction, something that really encourages me to do what I am doing. When I started it wasn't very encouraging, I thought sport being expensive, I will not see people come back but already there are 60 who are rallying in Kenya and I want the respect of the rally people not only in Kenya, in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania but Tuta being crowned the sports personality of the year. It's a brilliant thing for us Abdul Sidi Rally Academy, very polite girl, very good navigator and the driver himself also the person she navigates is my student Eric Bengi, he's a lawyer. So it says a lot and I'm pleased. A very short span of time that you have had with the school but you have had a really big impact in the safari rally here in Kenya because now we have got more than 100 students who are actually actively involved in safari rally and motor sport in Kenya. Actually last year safari rally took about 100 students of mine who acted as senior officials, time keepers, marshals, everything that had to do with the safari and this year is the same, I have got senior officials in the team who are my students Helen Chiri, she is the secretary. Noris Ongalo, he is the chief safety officer and several others makes me proud, makes me feel yes, I have done the right thing and it's something that is really keeping me alive. I have become a very boring spectator. I actually do not go and watch rallies, I do my updates and everything from home and it motivates my ambitions, my feelings, my everything and I am pleased. Because you are getting really many people outside. Last year also we got another global recognition and that was Helen Chiri who was given a global recognition by the safari rally, the world rally project and they named it a global icon in the event. How does this make us feel as Kenyans as we are getting out there globally recognized in safari rally? We are being recognized apart from Helen, I was invited to Rwanda by FIA president where I was given the opportunity to go and address the senior officials of motorsport in the world, Africa giving me the chance to talk of what I have been doing growing motorsport from the crossroads and all these I am doing it for free of charge, I don't charge and that is something that I take pride because I am the only one in Africa who does it. Forget even the South Africans in Mambu is all that and I have got followers who follow me from South Africa to Rwanda worldwide and all that and it is a unique thing and Helen to be given that award she has been recognized as a good secretary for the world rally championship event, the safari. So it is being recognized that the Kenyans have got the ability and they have got the right people to run the show and hopefully that can drive us to WRC proper WRC status in 2020. As we are going to talk about now the proper hosting of the event in 2020 I understand that Ian Campbell the British rally championship some of the people are involved with the British rally championship he is in the country because of the FIA to look at our event and see if we are ready to host that event when you look at this official body language when they come here in our country from your perspective do we have that hope that we can manage and actually FIA will be like now have this event? To be honest it is very deceiving to see what is in their eyes and in their hearts but as a Kenyan we have that confidence that our team has done the right thing has put in the right effort and the government through President Kenyatta has come in directly to try and get the status that we have been looking for from 2002 Now Campbell is an event director for British rally championship he is here and Leatherman the 15 times WRC rally contender he is also here and they have been appointed by FIA senior officials to come and assess what the local organizers have done so far in readiness for the safari rally which will kick off on July 5th now sticking to that what have we done so far what has the organization that the safari rally led by your chairman Mr. Fenas Kimati so far what has actually been put in place so that we can have this candidate event first in 2019 there is a team that has been working for the last 7 months and I can assure you they have been doing great jobs they have been going up and down and it's never easy one of the recommendations that the stages must be closed we can't have open stages because safety is paramount when we say stages must be closed we don't want to see even a giraffe crossing a zebra crossing in front of a rally car and that is how strict they are so the team has been today the officials are with the local team they are in Naewasha they are looking at the stages the rally the program is it will kick off on July 5th from Kasarani Stadium with a special stage then go to Naewasha spend the night and start the following day it's around that area for example in Slipping Warrior two stages on the first day to be repeated and then the second day they are going to Kedong again two stages to be repeated and then come back but now the officials are there today checking at each and every stage and looking and assessing what are the chances of this event being successful have they put in enough efforts for me I would like to think yes they have done it but what the FIA read some time the officials may be reading from a different book but we keep our fingers crossed overall what is the main object what is the main thing that they look at as Kenya is building to host this event as FIA what exactly what is the main objective and what is the main thing that they look at at the end of the day let me tell you motor sport is dangerous and safety is paramount and cars are getting so fast now unlike the olden days where it was endurance how safely can you drive from A to B now it is how quickly can you drive from A to B without any obstructions any cows any goats any chickens animals crossing the road forget human beings so they look at safety and see how you have organized your event so that no outside interference is worked on the rally on the day of the day then you have got special spectator stages where they are told to park your car here and walk down there and that's it you cannot drive in that stage so safety is paramount the rest is how good an event is with your organization safety medical all that you've done then how are you going to invite your drivers how well are they going to be taken care of how are the hotels accommodation and you need to look at if all these teams are coming here and if they come where are they going to sleep so you need to look at all those hotels around that area and I'm told they've seen hotels and they are able to check in nearly 15,000 people at any one time so yes it is paramount it is very important and safety is on the highest point talking of the stages that will be happening because the 2019 is a candidate event what is the difference between a WRC candidate event in 2019 and the WRC rally championship in 2020 candidate event is an event where you've been given the chance to run that event and show to the FI officials this is exactly what we will do when we get a WRC event WRC you get it it's now your part of that big circles where there are 12 events in the world 12 or 10 events and you're part of that calendar WRC what we used to play in the olden days until 2002 so this year it is our chance to impress the FI officials to tell them listen whatever we are doing here is exactly what we are going to do when we get a WRC event so that is why it is a candidate event taking you back to a nostalgic feel of your safari rally days and specifically when we had this event up to 2002 what is the main difference from the 2002 event and the events in 2019 and 2020 the olden days safaris they were longer the stages were longer and they were on open roads we used to drive from Kedong to Tulele you go to Kilifi, Mombasa Aldoret Maralal all that side it was spread across the nation now it is centered on one spot near in Ewasha that is the difference because the cars have become so fast and very expensive Skoda is 25 million Kenya shilling one Skoda now one suspension of Skoda is 1.2 million therefore and you need space fuel they use F gas one liter of F gas gives you 2.5 kilometers so you need like a whole barrel so the cars with 100 liter tank they will not be able to do longer stages they have to do 2 or 3 stages come back to the service fill it up go again fill it up in the olden days the whole tank would give you 1000 kilometers sometimes big changes that are happening here in the safari rally industry let's hope that Jean Todd will be hoping that they can go ahead and give us this event but you are big fan of the safari and what do you do these days when you are relaxed back home like I was just discussing with you you have become such a boring spectator but I have not lost interest it really keeps me alive I am really let me tell you I am getting I will be 65 in April and I still feel strong the sport has really kept me active it has given me everything that I needed in life I have seen the world I have rallied with the best teams and the best drivers and now with this technology one it is brilliant but it is anti-social discourages you from going to the areas and doing coverage I sit at home and then I am recognized everywhere I have earned the respect of the people around I have got about 30,000 followers on Facebook I have got lots of groups and people follow me from across the world so I give them updates whatever second to second happening in the rally I am informed I am also connected to the main Safari Rally HQ and I have got my own informers on the roads so I have got all that information you know you are one inspirational figure in the world of sports because I understand that you did not even finish high school you decided rally is my thing and I am going for it into rally and now you are teaching even university professors what to do about Safari Rally you are being invited to conventions worldwide to discuss Safari Rally to give academicians about Safari Rally just to be a big inspiration in this country and me as a journalist I am one of the people who is inspired by your journalism career how did it start and how did you end up becoming one of the biggest Safari Rally journalists in the world I thank God when I my school met was Kiritu Murungi Meru Senator we used to be in the same school but at the end of our Form 1 I decided I didn't want to continue and my parents were well to do and they didn't ask me why you are not going to do this but from the day I left when I left school there was not a dream of me becoming a rally driver I just left but I was very actively involved I represented Eastern province secondary school in basketball I played football, cricket and volleyball and I kept myself active with all sports and got into motorsport when I was about 30 and I just I can't believe where I am today because I was able to navigate Kenyan champion Patrick Giru as a Ranwa I was able to navigate 7 times African champion Satwan Singh from Zambia in Uganda and I navigated world group and champion Kriwa Di Mavius in the safari and then when I started Kishinga Jorogi was the editor at nation and he said Abdul why don't you write for nation I said me no I don't have that no I don't have brains like you no no no it's simple eventually about 6-7 months later I got a big typewriter and started writing 400 words it's like 5 hours kupu stories and he helped me but now I want the respect of the media in Kenya, Africa and the world and I have done press offices in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda Rundi, Kenya and I write for the nation been writing for the nation for the last 30 years and I must say and I do tell the youngsters please do not tell your parents Abdul Sidi didn't do for man go and finish one thing I never drank in my life and I never smoked in my life and that I think has given me lots of respect for people as a navigator you are a lady looking for a husband looking for a wife somewhere and the moment the word goes there I don't you know that's fire in my case now it was like that so I started from nursery school to up there and as you said I have got students Professor Aaron who is in Nairobi University in Mombasa is one of my students and I am now able to talk to university lecturers students directors CEOs and all that simple my own 34 years later this is what the safari can do to you yeah yeah it's given me a lot but back to the WRC and everything you are talking about tourism everyone is talking about tourism and in 2002 we lost a lot of tourism attraction into the country if we get this event what will be the impact like for Kenya and Africa because this is the only event that is being considered in Africa don't forget the government is directly involved in getting trying to get safari the WRC Phineas Kimathi President Uru Kenyatta and there are lots of other officials who are working together to make sure that we get WRC but getting a WRC is not just for the sport itself it works a lot for the country we get tourism during I remember the olden days when it was WRC hotels were fully booked there were lots of tourists they would come and see action they would see animals wildlife and all that and it used to help tourism grow in number and from that time it's not gone completely down but it can still come up so we just pray that we get the WRC status and we have that strength to get more tourists to Kenya and build tourism and happen it every time when it comes in year in year out going back into the day again someone who has been in the safari rally for 34 years now you have got that one memory where you are this one we have done it right this is that memory that will make me forever remember the safari what is that memory for you I there are several memories and I talking to Campbell the British rally director and when I told him I have done 18 safaris and finished 15 he says wow and when somebody says wow and that's the time the feeling gets and he says yes 18 safaris when it was 5800 kilometers endurance and my first ever finished that time so that time the results didn't matter it was finishing anyway just finished the safari from that time on lots of memories the best ever memory right now and it carries lots of weight is having navigated Patrick Girou in 1994 safari rally the only African black African to finish fourth overall in a WRC and winning the groupen class and beating the then world champion with the late Richard Barnes we were in the same teams baro team and then doing rallies in South Africa in Rwanda, Iwanda, Tanzania at home you know where Pangani is close your eyes tell your driver go there but when you're in Rwanda first you're driving on the right hand side and everything is on the left here so roundabout is not this way you're going this way so that is also confusing and to do and even there and to finish and do well those are memories for you so lots of memories and the thing is meeting people like you having making friends and I made thousands and thousands of friends and it's a great fun a rally museum a safari rally museum we are so with your pictures because they are great pictures we really appreciate you coming here to tell us everything about the safari rally so from here where are you heading to I'm going to Garas Post Club thank you so much Garas Post Club for providing me with the venue where I teach my students I usually preach and I come on don't be late in rallying if you're one minute late is 10 seconds penalty if you're one minute early is 60 seconds penalty so can you imagine you have to be precisely on time so I'm going to be about that and that's not the only class you have out in Garas I think you have another one at Carnival also yeah it's GP Cutting from time to time I actually move from one place to another but yeah Garas is at the moment hosting me and my guys are there waiting and yeah it's always it's fun on Saturday afternoons if you're free, if your friends are free all those listening to this my adventures please come and see me it's something that is really creating good environment and if you want to come and be a rally driver or navigator you have to be one with a driving license but if you don't have that look at the 100 marshals and officials who are working for the safari they are not rally drivers and events are happening here in here and then you have got eight events in Kenya including the safari Ruan, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumun, Yanuki, Nairobi so you can be traveling around you can be working with those guys thanks a lot Mr. Abdul to come into Y254 it has been a safari rally conversation and if you want everything to do the safari rally one person you should follow is Abdul City he has been a rally navigator here in the country from the back in the 80s 90s and he told in 1994 they had their best times with Patrick and Jiru but also he is a very, very good and one of the most prominent safari rally journalists in the world Mr. Abdul City you can follow him on Facebook and on Twitter and he can give you all that also this link will be sharing it with you and if there is anyone outside there who wants to enjoy the safari rally the Abdul City Rally Academy is one that you can join now we are breaking with the champions league highlights a big 19 euro poor man just United managed to come from two goals down to win against Paris Saint-Germain and also Tottenham managed to progress to the quarterfinals of the UFA Champions League let's look at those highlights when we come back we will be discussing everything in the funds also with Claudio Ranieri getting his first job again after his relegation with Fulham we'll be right back