Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust’s 2026 Rhino Charge event raised KES 365 million in Samburu County, the highest amount the organisation says it has collected through the annual off-road fundraiser, after the challenge was held on Saturday at Ngilai Community Conservancy.

According to the event statement, Safaricom-backed participant Adil Khawaja (Car No. 44, AK44) retained the top fundraiser position for the fourth consecutive year after raising KES 216 million—an amount Rhino Ark described as the highest ever raised by a single team at the event.

The fundraiser, now in its 37th edition, is a key private-sector and community-supported financing channel for conservation projects linked to Kenya’s mountain ecosystems—often referred to as “water towers”—which are important catchment areas underpinning water supply for households, agriculture, and industry.

Rhino Ark said the 2026 proceeds will support the trust’s activities, including “the conservation and protection of Kenya’s mountain range ecosystems.” It also said it handed over a KES 9.1 million cheque to support Ngilai community projects.

In a statement issued after the event, Khawaja attributed the result to broader support beyond his team. “Retaining the top fundraiser title for the fourth consecutive year is an honour, not just for me but for the entire team. I am grateful to everyone who supported this cause. This achievement reflects the collective effort of many who believe in environmental conservation and in making a lasting impact,” said Adil Khawaja, Team Lead, Car No. 44 (AK44).

Rhino Ark reported that Khawaja raised KES 139.8 million last year, compared with KES 175 million in 2024 and KES 60 million in 2023. In 2026, Mark Glen (Car No. 48) and Peter Kinyua (Car No. 23) raised KES 10.8 million and KES 8.5 million respectively, ranking second and third. Martin Kinyanjui of Magnate Chargers (Car No. 62) was fourth with KES 7.7 million, while Robin Tilbury (Car No. 35) placed fifth after raising KES 7 million, Rhino Ark said.

Beyond fundraising, the event includes a competitive off-road element. Rhino Ark said the 2026 challenge featured 65 cars. Team Huzi (Car No. 33), led by Oliver Outram, won the overall title after covering all 13 checkpoints over a 27 km course under the super modified category, retaining the title for the second year in a row.

The Hatarious Chargers (Car No. 3), led by Gurmeet Mehta, placed second after covering 30.4 km, while Patrick Garner of Braeburn Seven Squared (Car No. 49) finished third after covering 31.1 km, according to the statement. Mark Glen (Car No. 48) and Adil Khawaja (Car No. 44) finished fourth and fifth after covering 31.9 km and 32.2 km respectively. Rhino Ark added that Khawaja clinched the Victor Ludorum award.

Corporate sponsorship remained a significant contributor. Rhino Ark said the 2026 Rhino Charge received KES 114 million in sponsorship support from M-PESA Foundation and Safaricom PLC. Of this, the M-PESA Foundation committed KES 94 million towards conservation activities including “fencing and protection of the Mount Elgon Forest (Suam Block)” and restoration of the Mau Forest Complex across Narok, Kericho and Bomet counties.

Safaricom’s sponsorship supported three cars—Car No. 44, Car No. 29 (The EV Explorers), and Car No. 50 (Team Zambarau, Heels on Wheels)—as well as network connectivity during the event, according to the statement.

The results reinforce the growing role of corporate-linked philanthropy and community conservancy partnerships in financing environmental protection in Kenya, particularly where ecosystem degradation can raise costs for water-dependent sectors and amplify climate-related risks.

Rhino Ark did not provide dates for the next edition in the statement, but said the 2026 event marked the 37th running of Rhino Charge, signalling continuity of the annual conservation fundraising model.

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.