The 37th edition of Kenya’s Rhino Charge 4x4 off-road competition will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Ngilai in Samburu County, with 65 vehicles entered across three categories, according to organisers and sponsors.

Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust said the annual event raises funds for conservation and protection of Kenya’s mountain ecosystems—often referred to as the country’s “Water Towers”—which underpin water security for households, agriculture and industry.

Safaricom PLC and M-PESA Foundation said they will provide a combined KES 114 million in sponsorship for the 2026 event. Of this, M-PESA Foundation committed KES 94 million to support Rhino Ark’s conservation activities, including fencing and protection of the Mount Elgon Forest (Suam Block) and restoration work in the Mau Forest Complex across Narok, Kericho and Bomet counties.

Safaricom said it contributed KES 20 million to support three participating cars and provide network connectivity during the event. Under the team support allocation, Car No. 44 received KES 15 million, while EV Explorers and Zambarau Heels on Wheels each received KES 1 million. The remaining KES 3 million is for network connectivity during the competition, according to the statement.

The 2026 field includes Safaricom-sponsored teams EV Explorers, led by Richard Kiplagat; AK44, led by Adil Khawaja; and the all-women team Zambarau Heels on Wheels. Organisers said vehicles will compete in Modified, Super Modified and Unmodified categories.

“The car is in great condition and the entire team is excited and ready to take on the course. I would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors, especially Safaricom and M-PESA, for their tremendous support,” said Adil Khawaja, Team Lead, Car No. 44 (AK44). He added that the team hoped to retain its position as the leading fundraiser while backing conservation efforts.

Rhino Ark said preparations were completed following scrutineering and security checks ahead of race day. “The stage is fully set for this year’s Rhino Charge, with 65 car entries ready to take on the challenge. Today’s scrutineering process was focused on ensuring that all participating vehicles meet the required standards, and I am pleased to confirm that everything is in place, including the necessary security arrangements,” said Christian Lambrechts, Executive Director of Rhino Ark.

EV participation will again feature in the 2026 event. “This marks our second participation in the Rhino Charge with an electric vehicle, following last year’s historic debut of an EV in the competition. We gained valuable lessons from that experience and have since made significant improvements to the vehicle,” said Richard Kiplagat, Team Lead, EV Explorers.

The organisers cited last year’s fundraising performance as an indicator of the event’s growing role as a financing platform for conservation-linked interventions. The 2025 Rhino Charge, held at Simo-Soi in Baringo North, raised KES 269.5 million, Rhino Ark said. AK44 emerged as the top fundraising team after raising KES 139.8 million. Car No. 23, led by Peter Kinyua, raised KES 13.5 million, while Car No. 63, led by Tim Carstens, raised KES 8.6 million, according to the organisers.

For Kenya’s business landscape, Rhino Charge has become a high-profile channel through which corporates and foundations support conservation projects that protect water catchments critical to power generation, irrigation, manufacturing supply chains and urban water systems. The 2026 sponsorship allocations also illustrate how corporate giving is being tied to specific, measurable interventions—such as fencing, protection and restoration—within major ecosystems.

Rhino Ark said the event’s proceeds support its work to conserve mountain range ecosystems. The 2026 competition at Ngilai will proceed on May 30, with participating teams targeting both performance on the course and fundraising for conservation programmes.

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.

I&M Foundation has committed an additional KES 2 million to support fence management and ranger welfare at Ngong Sanctuary Forest in Nairobi, as part of its Project Imarisha initiative, the foundation said in a press release dated April 2, 2026.

According to the statement, the funding will facilitate the purchase of 14 scout uniforms and provide one year of salary support for the sanctuary’s rangers, a move the foundation said will strengthen protection of the forest and its biodiversity.

The announcement was made during a handover ceremony held under Project Imarisha, an I&M Foundation programme focused on environmental sustainability, education and community upliftment. The Ngong Sanctuary Forest initiative is among a growing number of private-sector backed conservation projects in Kenya that blend ecological restoration with community-based stewardship models.

In the release, Dipna Shah, Sustainability Lead at I&M Foundation, said the support is intended to ensure continuity as the project reaches a final handover milestone.

“As we reach this final handover milestone, our focus is on ensuring sufficient, sustained support to help this forest transition successfully into its next chapter. While infrastructure and fences are important, the true heartbeat of this forest is its people. By providing uniforms and salary support, we are ensuring that these scouts can perform their duties with dignity and security, laying a strong foundation for the long-term stewardship of this sanctuary,” Shah said.

The foundation said Project Imarisha has, to date, supported the installation of 14.2 kilometres of fencing at the sanctuary, including five kilometres of electrified perimeter fencing, as well as the development of 35 kilometres of nature trails. It also cited support for construction of rangers’ housing and an ablution block.

“Through Project Imarisha, we are committed to safeguarding Kenya’s natural heritage while empowering the communities that protect it. Our support to Ngong Sanctuary Forest reflects our belief that conservation and community well-being go hand in hand,” Shah added.

The statement said the 14 scouts are largely drawn from surrounding communities and serve as frontline personnel responsible for biodiversity protection and visitor safety. The latest support, it added, is designed to help the sanctuary shift from a restoration phase to a long-term maintenance and stewardship phase.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the project underscores how financial institutions and corporate foundations are increasingly deploying social investment programmes into conservation-linked infrastructure and jobs—an area with potential spillovers into domestic tourism, local enterprise activity around forest-based recreation, and climate resilience outcomes. Ngong Sanctuary Forest sits within the Nairobi metropolitan area, where demand for accessible green spaces has risen alongside urbanisation.

Looking ahead, I&M Foundation said Project Imarisha is concluding its primary infrastructure phase, with the sanctuary expected to focus on ongoing maintenance, conservation, environmental education and nature-based recreation. The foundation did not provide additional timelines or budget details beyond the KES 2 million contribution.

In the release, I&M Foundation said it is funded through an annual endowment from I&M Bank Kenya equivalent to 2% of the bank’s profit before tax, and it delivers social investment programmes across four thematic areas.

Tusk and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy on March 24, 2026 launched the 26th edition of the Lewa Safari Marathon in Nairobi, opening entries for the June 27 race at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and setting a fundraising target of more than KSh15 million, according to organisers.

In a statement issued at the launch, the organisers said proceeds will be directed to wildlife protection as well as community needs such as health and schools. International entries are already open, with entries for Kenya and East Africa scheduled to open on March 27.

The Lewa Safari Marathon has raised KSh1.3 billion since its first edition in 2000, according to the organisers. They said funds have supported conservation initiatives linked to improved outcomes for species including Hawksbill turtles, Grevy’s zebras, rhinos and mountain bongos, and have also financed community programmes including more than 40,000 clinic visits and multiple school initiatives. The statement did not provide a breakdown of the KSh1.3 billion by year or beneficiary.

Mike Watson, CEO of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, said the event’s contributions extend across conservation and livelihoods. “Every step taken at the Lewa Safari Marathon powers real, measurable conservation impact. Through the commitment of every runner and supporter, we are securing critical habitats, protecting endangered species, and building resilient communities with sustainable livelihoods,” Watson said, adding that sponsors remain central to delivering the programme.

Chantal Migongo-Bake, Tusk’s Chief Conservation Officer, said the marathon is designed to mobilise international and local support for conservation and community programmes. “The Lewa Safari Marathon is more than just a race, it’s a running challenge with purpose… This incredible event continues to raise vital funds that innovate conservation efforts, protect critical landscapes and threatened species, and uplift livelihoods,” she said.

Safaricom, the event’s main sponsor since inception, said it will provide KSh10 million in support for the 2026 edition. Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, said: “As part of our continued commitment, we will this year support the event to the tune of KES 10 million… we are equally proud to enable conservation through connectivity, ensuring that Lewa remains digitally empowered to protect wildlife more effectively.”

Huawei Kenya said it will also continue its sponsorship, which the organisers said has run for more than a decade. Gao Fei, CEO of Huawei Kenya, said: “Huawei is delighted to have been a long-standing supporter of the Lewa Safari Marathon.”

Beyond Safaricom and Huawei, the organisers listed additional 2026 partners as National Bank of Kenya, ICEA Lion, Tropical Heat, Safarilink, AMREF, Elewana and Land and Life. They said partner contributions provide core financial support used for conservation and community initiatives.

The race has full marathon, half marathon, 10K and a children’s race. Organisers said more than 25,000 runners from over 40 countries have participated over the years, including Kenyan athletes Eliud Kipchoge, Paul Tergat and Catherine Ndereba. They also cited Runner’s World recognition of the race among top amateur events globally.

For Kenya’s business landscape, the marathon illustrates a recurring model of corporate-backed conservation financing, linking brand partnerships to measurable funding for protected areas and adjacent communities. With the tourism value chain closely tied to wildlife assets, such events can influence conservation budgets, local enterprise activity and destination visibility in the wider Mount Kenya–Laikipia ecosystem.

Organisers said the 2026 race will be held at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with proceeds supporting a range of Kenyan conservation organisations including Borana Conservancy, Grevy’s Zebra Trust, Lamu Marine Conservation Trust and Tsavo Trust, among others. The next milestone is the opening of Kenya and East Africa entries on March 27 ahead of the June 27 event.