The wild ride that is the Rhino Charge

A rhino charge experience is the thrilling adventure of a lifetime – one whose anticipation gets your dreams of a rapturous escapade soar higher than the clouds – such is my dream of the 35th edition of the Rhino Charge 2024 happening over the Madaraka Day weekend. 

The stage is set, and County 34 – Kajiado County, is the venue for the annual off-road competition in which entrants visit several points (Guard Posts) while travelling the shortest possible distance across difficult, trackless terrain. Here, unlike the Safari Rally, you will be penalised for overspeeding. 

I am excited about this extraordinary event. For starters, Kajiado has been my second home county (my first is Meru county) for the last 20 years, and the event that has “dodged” me for the last 34 years, is finally giving me a chance to experience this much-hyped event organised to save mother Kenya. 

The platform is set for a wild ride of a lifetime. I will trust my mind’s eye to take me on a roller coaster crazy drive with team 64 – aptly described as the fearless bunch of ready-to-conquer-anything team, including taking a non-scenic route, tackling boulders, conquering impossible obstacles, and manhandling their trusty Bush Rover that defies vehicular logic!”

Sure I would not want to miss the Rhino Charge mayhem of adventure whichever way – a participant (which I can’t) or a spectator (which I can). I am looking forward to Rhino Charge 2024. 

Why Rhino Charge

My colleague Ann Veronica thinks that the 4x4 in which competitors are required to visit 13 checkpoints (controls) scattered over approximately 100 square kilometres of rough terrain within a 10 hour-period has something to do with charging rhinos. 

She may not be alone in her thoughts. While no rhinos are charging at the Rhino Charge events, there is a connection to the Rhino Charge story. It is speculated that rhinos bear a grudge, about their poor visibility, which is why they charge blindly even inanimate objects for their protection.

Rhinos are near-sighted and cannot see well beyond 27 metres, and if they “smell” danger, they will charge at a speed of 30 miles per hour, whether provoked or not. 

Another food for thought about rhinos is that some of them like the northern white rhino are faced with extinction as there are only two of them (Fatu and Najin), who enjoy a 24/7 armed rhino protection squad, supported by a wider team of rangers and a K9 dog unit at their 360 square-kilometre Ol Pejeta Conservancy home.  

The Rhino Charge, an idea conceptualised in 1989 has been used as a platform to support the safeguarding of the integrity and ecological functions of Kenya’s mountain forest (water towers), as these forests are the source of all main rivers in the country. 

Rhino Ark founder Ken Kuhle, and Rally Enthusiasts Rob Combes and Brian Haworth mooted the idea of an off-road 4×4 event to support the fencing project carried out by the recently established Charitable Trust Rhino Ark. 

The event was used to raise funds for the construction of the Aberdare Electric Fence.  Since then, the Trust has committed to saving the dwindling Rhino population in the Aberdare National Park, as well as mitigating human-wildlife conflicts around the National Park.

On February 4 1989, 31 competing vehicles entered the first event which was won by Travers Allison in a Suzuki jeep. Whilst the first Rhino Charge raised only KES 250,000, this amount increased tremendously over the years. 

At the 4x4 Rhino Charge competition, the participants “charge” blindly as they are given their route notes just a few days before the event. Unlike their counterparts in Safari Rally, at the time of the competition, they are not quite familiar with the route, and “charge” (drive) blindly. 

“If the location is known in advance, some competitors will take advantage to go on site and plan how they will navigate the place,” explains Paul Udoto, Kenya Wildlife Service, Assistant Director. KWS is a sponsor and a checkpoint supporter. 

That aside, the two-day event is an opportunity to discover the many gems and attractions of county number 34. The preparations for the world-renowned Rhino Charge have seen huge traffic of visitors to the County is endowed with a rich biodiversity of nature and an abundance of wildlife.