Safari Rally confirmed on 2027 WRC calendar for 18-21 March as Kenya seeks five-year deal

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the 15-round 2027 World Rally Championship (WRC) calendar, wrc.com reported on 8 October. The Safari Rally is scheduled for 18 to 21 March 2027 as the third round, after Monte Carlo (21 to 24 January) and Sweden (18 to 21 February), DirtFish and Citizen Digital reported on 8 October. The length of Kenya's new hosting deal has not been announced, Citizen Digital reported.

"The Safari Rally stays home. I am delighted to confirm that Kenya will host the WRC Safari Rally in 2027," President William Ruto said, as quoted by Kenyans.co.ke on 8 October.

Kenya has submitted a bid to keep the Safari Rally on the WRC calendar for another five years, Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi said, according to Citizen Digital on 5 October. Mwangi said he understood Kenya had been considered for the next five years. He also said the calendar had been drawn and that Kenya would host the Safari Rally in March 2027.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya held talks with the newly registered Motorsport Kenya Federation (MK-F) on the rally and wider motorsport development, The Star reported. "I held consultative discussions with the newly registered Motorsport Kenya Federation (MK-F) on preparations for the iconic WRC Safari Rally," Mvurya said. Mvurya said the government was committed to "building a strong and sustainable motorsport ecosystem, from grassroots talent identification and development to strengthening Kenya's competitiveness at the highest levels of international motorsport".

Safari Rally chief executive Carl Tundo said developing the sport from the grassroots would be critical to producing a new generation of Kenyan rally drivers, The Star reported.

Rally US (26 to 29 August) and Rally Scotland (30 September to 3 October) are both on the approved 2027 calendar, and Portugal is not, according to wrc.com. Citizen Digital reported on 30 September that Rally de Portugal will not feature in the 2027 championship. The Automobile Club of Portugal said the Vodafone Rally of Portugal "was one of the events whose scheduling was affected". It said it had already held first talks with the WRC promoter on a possible return in 2028.

The FIA announced on 16 March 2026 that the WRC will return to the United Kingdom in 2027 with a gravel event based in Aberdeen, under an initial three-year agreement. Autosport reported on 14 August that an FIA delegation had completed its assessment of the Rally Scotland candidate event in Aberdeen.

Citizen Digital reported on 31 July 2025 that Kenya's original five-year WRC contract had been extended by one more year, making 2026 a potentially decisive year for the rally's future in the country. The 2026 Safari Rally was held from 12 to 15 March as the third round of the season, after Monte Carlo and Sweden.

President William Ruto said on 15 March, as quoted by DirtFish: "This is the last Safari Rally where we will be spending public money to promote [the event]. From next year, this event will be fully funded and supported by the private sector."

Mwangi said the government wants to widen private-sector involvement through a special-purpose vehicle, Citizen Digital reported. "We will have a special-purpose vehicle where the many sponsors from the private sector will come together," he said. At the 2026 rally, he said, "the private sector came on board and supplemented what the government was giving us".