The Safari Rally Kenya remains the ultimate test of man and machine, a grueling odyssey through the Great Rift Valley that has evolved from a 1953 coronation tribute into the most fearsome round of the FIA World Rally Championship.
The 2026 edition saw a historic breakthrough as Japan’s Takamoto Katsuta secured his maiden WRC victory. Driving the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, Katsuta displayed remarkable maturity, navigating a weekend of extreme attrition that sidelined champions like Sébastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans. His win is a poignant tribute to the rally’s international spirit, marking the first Japanese victory in Kenya since 1995.
The rally’s heritage is deeply rooted in African excellence. For decades, local knowledge was the only way to survive the fesh-fesh sand. Legends like Shekhar Mehta (the record holder with five wins) and Joginder Singh defined the early era. Modern Kenyan masters like Carl Tundo and Ian Duncan proved that African grit could humble the world’s best. From the humble Volkswagen Beetle to today’s hybrid beasts, the Safari Rally continues to crown only the most resilient.
While Katsuta has just joined the winners’ circle, a few legends still hold the records for the most victories:
| Driver | Wins | Years |
| Shekhar Mehta | 5 | 1973, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 |
| Carl Tundo | 5 | 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018 |
| Björn Waldegård | 4 | 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990 |
| Joginder Singh | 3 | 1965, 1974, 1976 |
| Juha Kankkunen | 3 | 1985, 1991, 1993 |
| Colin McRae | 3 | 1997, 1999, 2002 |
| Baldev Chager | 3 | 2013, 2014, 2019 |
Toyota has truly made Kenya its second home. Since the rally returned to the WRC calendar in 2021, Toyota has won every single edition.
- Toyota: 14 Wins (Including the last 6 consecutive rallies)
- Mitsubishi: 14 Wins (Dominant during the mid-2000s ARC era)
- Ford: 8 Wins
- Peugeot: 6 Wins
All Winners of the Safari Rally (1953–2026)
| Year | Driver | Co-Driver | Car |
| 1953 | 🇰🇪 Alan Dix | 🇰🇪 Johnny Larsen | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1954 | 🇰🇪 D P Marwaha | 🇰🇪 Vic Preston Sr | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1955 | 🇰🇪 Vic Preston Sr | 🇰🇪 D P Marwaha | Ford Zephyr |
| 1956 | 🇰🇪 Eric Cecil | 🇰🇪 Tony Vickers | DKW |
| 1957 | 🇰🇪 Gus Hofmann | 🇰🇪 Arthur Burton | Volkswagen Beetle |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 T. Brooke | 🇰🇪 Peter Hughes | Ford Anglia 100E |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 Arne Kopperud | 🇰🇪 Kora Kopperud | Ford Zephyr II |
| 1958 | 🇰🇪 M. Temple-Boreham | 🇰🇪 Mike Armstrong | Auto Union 1000 |
| 1959 | 🇰🇪 Bill Fritschy | 🇰🇪 Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 |
| 1960 | 🇰🇪 Bill Fritschy | 🇰🇪 Jack Ellis | Mercedes-Benz 219 |
| 1961 | 🇰🇪 John Manussis | 🇰🇪 B. Coleridge / D. Bekett | Mercedes-Benz 220SE |
| 1962 | 🇰🇪 Tommy Fjastad | 🇰🇪 Bernhard Schmider | Volkswagen 1200 |
| 1963 | 🇰🇪 Nick Nowicki | 🇰🇪 Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404 |
| 1964 | 🇰🇪 Peter Hughes | 🇰🇪 Bill Young | Ford Cortina GT |
| 1965 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 Jaswant Singh | Volvo PV 544 |
| 1966 | 🇹🇿 Bert Shankland | 🇹🇿 Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 |
| 1967 | 🇹🇿 Bert Shankland | 🇹🇿 Chris Rothwell | Peugeot 404 |
| 1968 | 🇰🇪 Nick Nowicki | 🇰🇪 Paddy Cliff | Peugeot 404 |
| 1969 | 🇰🇪 Robin Hillyar | 🇰🇪 Jock Aird | Ford Taunus 20M RS |
| 1970 | 🇰🇪 Edgar Herrmann | 🇩🇪 Hans Schüller | Datsun 1600 SSS |
| 1971 | 🇰🇪 Edgar Herrmann | 🇩🇪 Hans Schüller | Datsun 240Z |
| 1972 | 🇫🇮 Hannu Mikkola | 🇸🇪 Gunnar Palm | Ford Escort RS1600 |
| 1973 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Lofty Drews | Datsun 240Z |
| 1974 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR |
| 1975 | 🇸🇪 Ove Andersson | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Peugeot 504 |
| 1976 | 🇰🇪 Joginder Singh | 🇰🇪 David Doig | Mitsubishi Lancer 1600 GSR |
| 1977 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇸🇪 Hans Thorszelius | Ford Escort RS1800 |
| 1978 | 🇫🇷 J-P. Nicolas | 🇫🇷 J-C. Lefèbvre | Peugeot 504 V6 Coupé |
| 1979 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J |
| 1980 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Datsun 160J |
| 1981 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT |
| 1982 | 🇰🇪 Shekhar Mehta | 🇰🇪 Mike Doughty | Nissan Violet GT |
| 1983 | 🇫🇮 Ari Vatanen | 🇬🇧 Terry Harryman | Opel Ascona 400 |
| 1984 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇸🇪 Hans Thorszelius | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1985 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1986 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica TCT |
| 1987 | 🇫🇮 Hannu Mikkola | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Audi 200 Quattro |
| 1988 | 🇮🇹 Miki Biasion | 🇮🇹 Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1989 | 🇮🇹 Miki Biasion | 🇮🇹 Tiziano Siviero | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1990 | 🇸🇪 Björn Waldegård | 🇬🇧 Fred Gallagher | Toyota Celica GT-Four |
| 1991 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇫🇮 Juha Piironen | Lancia Delta HF Integrale |
| 1992 | 🇪🇸 Carlos Sainz | 🇪🇸 Luis Moya | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1993 | 🇫🇮 Juha Kankkunen | 🇫🇮 Juha Piironen | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1994 | 🇰🇪 Ian Duncan | 🇰🇪 David Williamson | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1995 | 🇯🇵 Yoshio Fujimoto | 🇸🇪 Arne Hertz | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD |
| 1996 | 🇫🇮 Tommi Mäkinen | 🇫🇮 Seppo Harjanne | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo III |
| 1997 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Subaru Impreza WRC97 |
| 1998 | 🇬🇧 Richard Burns | 🇬🇧 Robert Reid | Mitsubishi Carisma GT |
| 1999 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Ford Focus WRC |
| 2000 | 🇬🇧 Richard Burns | 🇬🇧 Robert Reid | Subaru Impreza WRC00 |
| 2001 | 🇫🇮 Tommi Mäkinen | 🇫🇮 Risto Mannisenmäki | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5 |
| 2002 | 🇬🇧 Colin McRae | 🇬🇧 Nicky Grist | Ford Focus RS WRC 02 |
| 2003 | 🇰🇪 Glen Edmunds | 🇰🇪 Titch Phillips | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI |
| 2004 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Subaru Impreza |
| 2005 | 🇰🇪 Glen Edmunds | 🇰🇪 Des Page-Morris | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII |
| 2006 | 🇰🇪 Azar Anwar | 🇰🇪 George Mwangi | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI |
| 2007 | 🇿🇼 Conrad Rautenbach | 🇿🇼 Peter Marsh | Subaru Impreza N10 |
| 2008 | 🇰🇪 Lee Rose | 🇰🇪 Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2009 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2010 | 🇰🇪 Lee Rose | 🇰🇪 Piers Daykin | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2011 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2012 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX |
| 2013 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2014 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2015 | 🇰🇪 J. S. Chatthe | 🇰🇪 Gurdeep Panesar | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2016 | 🇰🇪 J. S. Chatthe | 🇰🇪 Gurdeep Panesar | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2017 | 🇫🇮 Tapio Laukkanen | 🇰🇪 Gavin Laurence | Subaru Impreza WRX STi |
| 2018 | 🇰🇪 Carl Tundo | 🇰🇪 Tim Jessop | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2019 | 🇰🇪 Baldev Chager | 🇰🇪 Ravi Soni | Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X |
| 2020 | Cancelled | COVID-19 | — |
| 2021 | 🇫🇷 Sébastien Ogier | 🇫🇷 Julien Ingrassia | Toyota Yaris WRC |
| 2022 | 🇫🇮 Kalle Rovanperä | 🇫🇮 Jonne Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2023 | 🇫🇷 Sébastien Ogier | 🇫🇷 Vincent Landais | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2024 | 🇫🇮 Kalle Rovanperä | 🇫🇮 Jonne Halttunen | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2025 | 🇬🇧 Elfyn Evans | 🇬🇧 Scott Martin | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |
| 2026 | 🇯🇵 Takamoto Katsuta | 🇮🇪 Aaron Johnston | Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 |