Abdul Sidi/ HANDOUT
Legendary rally navigator and journalist Abdul Sidi was laid to rest yesterday at the Langata Muslim Cemetery, bringing to a close a remarkable four-decade journey in Kenyan motorsport.
Sidi, who lived a dual life in the sport as a co-driver and journalist, was eulogised as a bridge between generations, a teacher and a walking library of rallying history.
In the press box, he was an institution. He penned his first newspaper article for the Daily Nation in 1985 and continued writing until 2025, when ill health slowed him down, making him one of Kenya’s longest-serving motorsport journalists.
On the other side of the sport, Sidi was a fearless navigator who partnered an enviable list of top drivers.
Among his crowning achievements was winning the Group N FIA WRC Safari Rally title with Patrick Njiru in 1984 in a Subaru Impreza. Fifteen years later, he claimed the FIA F2 WRC Safari Rally crown with Phineas Kimathi in a Hyundai Coupe.
Sidi competed actively for 25 years and made an extraordinary 18 appearances in the WRC Safari Rally.
Njiru and Kimathi were among those who attended the burial, alongside current and former figures in Kenyan rallying, including driver Hamza Anwar, Safari Rally Clerk of the Course George Mwangi and rally legend Azar Anwar.
Tributes poured in from across the motorsport world, with FIA Vice-President for Sport – Africa Rodrigo Rocha describing Sidi’s death as a great loss to Kenyan and African motorsport.
“On behalf of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and on my own behalf, I wish to express our deepest condolences on the passing of Abdul Sidi, a distinguished figure in Kenyan and African motorsport,” Rocha said.
He praised Sidi not only for his achievements on the stages but also for his commitment to sharing knowledge and nurturing the next generation.
“Through his journalism, mentorship and the Abdul Sidi Rally Academy, he helped open the doors of motorsport to young aspiring drivers and navigators,” Rocha said.
“For many of us, Abdul represented the very best qualities of a navigator — knowledge, precision, courage, loyalty and humility. His passing is a great loss not only to his family and friends, but to the entire motorsport community in Kenya, Africa and beyond.”
Motorsports Kenya Federation president Altaf Ganatra, in a condolence message dated September 11, said Kenyan motorsport had lost one of its true sons.
“Kenyan motorsport has lost one of its true sons, a man whose life, passion and contribution became inseparable from the sport he loved,” Ganatra said.
He described Sidi as a navigator who competed alongside some of Kenya’s finest drivers while becoming one of rallying’s great storytellers through his journalism.
But Ganatra said Sidi’s greatest contribution may have been his mentorship.
“He gave his knowledge generously. He guided, encouraged and inspired generations of competitors, navigators, officials and enthusiasts,” he said.
“His passing leaves more than an empty seat. Kenyan motorsport has lost part of its institutional memory, a bridge between generations and a gentleman whose contribution to our sport will endure long after the engines fall silent.”
The federation concluded: “Farewell, Abdul. Your journey with us may have ended, but your name and contribution will forever remain part of the story of Kenyan motorsport. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.”
Sidi is survived by his younger brothers Asgar Sidi and Anwar Sidi, both prominent figures in Kenyan motorsport media.
