Rally driver Pauline Sheghu says competing at the Africa Rally Championship (ARC) level demands a more powerful, technically advanced machine, with the Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evolution topping her wish list.
Fondly known as the Queen of the Dust, Sheghu has her sights on the Subaru Impreza or Mitsubishi Evolution, machines better suited to the punishing demands of the Safari and the continental series.
Should her dream of tackling the entire ARC season come true, she will become the first Kenyan woman to compete in all rounds of the championship, which spans Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.
The former Kenya Inter-Media Rally champion, who once made her name as a Swahili news anchor at KBC, is no stranger to the legendary Safari Rally. She has competed in every edition since 2022 and previously posted a credible 10th-place finish in the National category at the 2010 ARC Safari Rally.
Navigated by Linet Ayuko in an all-women crew, Sheghu is keen to make a strong statement at the Safari Rally, which will count towards both the ARC and the Kenya National Rally Championship (KNRC).
“The sport is quite expensive, and without corporate support, it is impossible to race,” Sheghu said. “I’m appealing to the government, parastatals and well-wishers to help me achieve my dream of doing a full season of the ARC.”
A competitive rally car costs between Sh11–12 million, a figure Sheghu admits is out of reach for most individual drivers, making support from corporates, the private sector and government institutions essential.
Sheghu hopes to emulate trailblazer Helen Shori, popularly known as Hedgal, who became the first Kenyan woman to compete outside the country when she entered the Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally.
Sheghu and Ayuko, who were sponsored by KenGen last season, were among five Kenyan crews in action. Others included Tinashe Gatimu, Caroline Gatimu, Rajveer Thethy, Shabaz Anwar, Isa Amwari, Denis Mwenda and Timothy Kinoti.
The 2026 ARC calendar features iconic rounds such as the Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, the crowd-pulling Pearl of Africa Uganda Rally, the Rally of Tanzania and the Safari Rally, which will serve as the season opener. Support has already begun to materialise, with the Ministry of Energy backing the initiative.
Principal Secretary Alex Wachira has urged energy parastatals to support Sheghu’s campaign, with her sponsorship launch set for February 13, 2026, at KAWI House Complex South.
An employee of GDC Geothermal, Sheghu, says her mission goes beyond personal ambition. “I want to inspire women who normally give up and see Kenyan drivers shine on the continental stage,” she said. “I’d like to do the whole ARC circuit, including Rwanda and Uganda.”
The Safari Rally, scheduled for March 12–15, will drop its traditional Nairobi start and instead focus on the brutal terrains of Lake Naivasha, Kedong’s sandy tracks and the Sleeping Warrior savannah—conditions that have cemented the Safari Rally’s reputation as the toughest rally in the world.
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