KCB Bank Kenya and the KCB Foundation have injected KSh7 million into the 2026 Rhino Charge ahead of the 37th edition of the off-road motorsport fundraiser set for May 30 in Samburu County, the lender said in a statement dated May 28, 2026.
According to the press release, KSh5 million of the sponsorship will support Car No. 44 (Team AK 44), while an additional KSh2 million through the KCB Foundation will back the EV Explorers team, which is participating with an electric vehicle.
The Rhino Charge is a corporate-backed fundraising event that supports conservation initiatives, including protection of Kenya’s water towers. The sponsorship underscores how financial institutions and corporates are using sports-linked philanthropy to channel funding to environmental priorities, which have become more prominent amid climate-related risks affecting agriculture, tourism and water supply.
Speaking during the sponsorship announcement, Rosalind Gichuru, KCB Group Director Marketing and Communications, linked the bank’s support to environmental conservation and climate action. “The Rhino Charge continues to play a critical role in conserving Kenya’s vital water towers and ecosystems. As KCB, we are proud to support this… aligns with our sustainability agenda and Sustainable Development Goal No. 13 on Climate Action,” Ms Gichuru said. She added that the bank’s backing of Car No. 44 and EV Explorers is also aimed at “championing innovation and inclusion in motorsport and environmental conservation.”
The organisers expect the 2026 edition to attract 55 entries, the statement said, including defending overall champions Team Huzi (Car No. 33) and Team Zambarau, an all-ladies team.
KCB said part of the support to EV Explorers will go alongside a talent initiative targeting Kenya’s technical training ecosystem. The EV Explorers team has launched the EV Explorers Innovation Challenge targeting two female TVET engineering students in Kenya, according to the press release. The selected students will receive sponsorship for the remainder of their studies and a three-month paid industrial attachment at Foley’s Garage to gain experience in electric vehicle development and maintenance.
Adil Khawaja, identified in the statement as a driver of Team AK 44, said corporate sponsorship remains central to the event’s fundraising model and to emerging initiatives around sustainable mobility. “We are delighted to see corporate partners such as KCB continue investing in conservation and sustainable mobility solutions,” Mr Khawaja said, adding that support to EV Explorers could “help accelerate innovation and inspire more young people, especially women, to pursue opportunities in engineering and electric mobility.”
For Kenya’s emerging electric mobility market, the involvement of an EV-focused team in a high-profile national fundraiser provides additional visibility for local innovation and skills development, even as the sector faces constraints such as charging infrastructure coverage, vehicle costs and limited specialised maintenance capacity. The TVET-focused challenge and industrial attachment model points to a growing role for private sector partnerships in building skills for new mobility technologies.
KCB also cited fundraising results from last year’s event as an indicator of the Rhino Charge’s financial scale. The 2025 Rhino Charge, held in Saimo Soi, Baringo County, raised KSh269.5 million towards conservation of Kenya’s water towers, according to the press release. Team AK 44 emerged as the top fundraiser for the third consecutive year after raising KSh139.8 million.
With the 2026 race set for May 30 in Samburu, attention will now shift to participation numbers, fundraising totals and how much of the proceeds are ultimately channelled into water tower conservation projects after the event.