Toyota driver Takamoto Katsuta on Sunday won the Safari Rally Kenya, a round of the World Rally Championship held in Naivasha, about 92 kilometres northwest of Nairobi.

It marked the Japanese driver’s first victory in the WRC and his maiden triumph in the Kenyan round of the global rally series.

Katsuta and his co-driver Aaron Johnston secured victory after four gruelling days navigating some of the toughest conditions seen in the Safari Rally in recent years.

The pair won by 27.4 seconds ahead of Adrien Fourmaux of Hyundai, who was co-driven by Alexandre Coria. Toyota’s Sami Pajari completed the podium in third place.

The 32-year-old Katsuta, competing in his 94th WRC start, became the first Japanese driver to win at rallying’s top level since Kenjiro Shinozuka triumphed at the Rally of Côte d'Ivoire in 1992.

Despite missing out on victory, Toyota’s Elfyn Evans retained the WRC drivers’ championship lead with 66 points.

Patel leads Kenyan challenge

Kenya’s Karan Patel, navigated by Tauseef Khan, finished 17th overall in a Škoda Fabia Rally2, emerging as the best-placed Kenyan crew in the event.

Patel and Khan also won the African Rally Championship (ARC) category, taking an early lead in the 2026 title race.

Strong performances across categories

The KCB Rally Team delivered impressive performances across multiple categories during the rally.

Nikhil Sachania and navigator Deep Patel began their FIA African Rally Championship ARC3 title defence in style with a category victory, finishing sixth overall in ARC and 23rd in WRC3.

Ugandan driver Oscar Ntambi, backed by KCB, also impressed by winning the ARC2 category and finishing 22nd overall in the WRC standings.

Meanwhile, Queen Kalimpinya marked her debut in style by finishing as the highest-placed female driver in the Kenya National Rally Championship category.

Despite mechanical problems forcing them to retire early, the mother-and-daughter duo of Tinashe Gatimu and Caroline Gatimu showed determination in their Ford Fiesta Rally4.

The Safari Rally Kenya once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest rallies in the world, testing drivers and machines across punishing terrain and unpredictable weather conditions.