President William Ruto with Caroline Gatimu (L) and Tinashe Gatimu (R)/ TEDDY MULEIThe mother-daughter rally crew of Tinashe Gatimu and Caroline Gatimu are banking on fresh horsepower to lift their fortunes when the Safari Rally roars to life from March 12–15 in Naivasha.
For this year’s global spectacular, the Gatimu's will strap into a Ford Fiesta R2, a sizeable step up from the Subaru Impreza GC8 they wrestled through the punishing terrain in 2025.
The change in machinery signals fresh intent from a duo determined not just to compete, but to climb the order. At last season’s Safari, the pair dug deep to clock a cumulative time of 3:54:43.6, sealing 13th overall in the national classification.
“For the 2026 Safari Rally, we have the Ford Fiesta R2. We upgraded from the Subaru GC8,” Tinashe said.
She was quick to underline the gulf between the two cars, her voice brimming with anticipation.
“The car is more powerful and nimble; it’s designed for racing, so I am sure we will have fun in it,” she added. Tinashe believes the new package could be decisive in their push for a better finishing position against a field that grows more competitive every year.
“Our plan remains more or less the same as last year; get to the finish line and then assess ourselves from there,” she noted, mindful of Safari’s brutal reputation for humbling even the boldest crews. “This year, our target is just to improve on what we missed last year.”
Preparation, she insists, will be key with plans for a seat time in the Fiesta before the ceremonial flag drops. “We are going to test the car before the Safari, but so far so good; we are happy with where we are,” she said.
The youngster, now gearing up for her fourth stab at the iconic event, carries vivid memories from the previous edition, scars that have since hardened into lessons.
“Last year was a bit tough for us. We had a couple of challenges here and there, but we use them as lessons to build on a stronger showing this year.”
Equally critical is the rhythm inside the cockpit. Wth her mother calling the pace notes, she says their chemistry will be key for top results.
“We have good chemistry with my mother, who’s my navigator, and that helps us a lot out there,” she explained.
Tinashe forms part of a formidable five-driver KCB rally stable that also features two-time African champion Karan Patel, paraplegic ace Nikhil Sachania, Rwanda’s Queen Kalimpinya and Uganda’s Oscar Ntambi.
The quintet received a Sh28.5 million boost last week to fine-tune their preparations, a timely injection as the countdown to Safari gathers pace. “We are grateful to KCB for their continued support and hope to keep flying their flag,” she said.
Beyond the stopwatch, Tinashe is equally passionate about the future of women in the sport. She notes that while trailblazers have come before her, the pipeline needs urgent refuelling.
“There have been a couple of women drivers before, but now the numbers are dwindling,” she observed. “I hope with time we can get more female drivers and younger girls into the sport as well.”
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