Safari Rally: Ruto Dons Special Suit, Steps Into WRC Car [PHOTOS & VIDEO]

President William Ruto on Wednesday, June 21 switched from his Kaunda suit to a unique World Rally Championship (WRC) suit complete with its helmet while flagging off the Safari Rally 2023 which held its shakedown in Naivasha.

The Head of State donned his Kaunda suit for the flagging off of the event which is marking 70 years since it was held way back in 1953 as a celebration of the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

Afterwards, he switched to the race suit made just for him as he stepped into his second rally car in less than two weeks, this time around the hybrid Rally1 car belonging to Ford M-Sport with an electric blue and pink livery, different from its popular purple colours from last season (2022).

The car, in a video seen by Viral Tea, could be seen reversing to a clearing before accelerating for a few metres in full view of journalists and other guests who did not mind the ear-splitting sound usually stemming from the car's exhaust.

Here's the video courtesy of Citizen TV:

President Ruto has a feel of a rally car at WRC Safari Rally 2023 Shakedown in Naivasha pic.twitter.com/lgvXDinsop — Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) June 21, 2023

"I don't know whether I'm going to do a ride or I'm going to drive it...I want to try on the wheel itself. 

"It's different. I've always watched the Safari Rally as a spectator, I haven't gotten the feel of being inside the rally car. I think it's a great experience and I'm looking forward to it," Ruto told journalists before the ride.

Features of Ruto's Racing Suit

The suit that Ruto wore is a homologated racing suit, an overall custom-made for every driver and co-driver, and each team creates its own design. At the same time, the overalls have to conform to the stringent standards of the FIA (International Automobile Federation), for things like fire resistance.

The same is true for shirts, trousers, balaclavas, gloves and helmets. Each piece of equipment is fitted with a homologation tag, which is checked during the technical inspection, meaning, without it, you cannot take part in any rally.

The crew must wear fire-resistant underwear for the whole duration of the rally. One of the teams has each crew member bearing four sets of overalls for rallies and three more for testing.

The helmet also includes headphones and microphones, which transmit voices and eliminate other sounds, so the crew members can hear each other.

The gloves are the same right across the team, that is, all crews use the same type and design, with only the sizes varying.

President William Ruto enjoyed a hearty laugh with one of the rally drivers at the shakedown in Naivasha. /TWITTER.MUTUA LOYD

The shoes are the personal choice of every crew member, but primarily the drivers. There are differences in the hardness of the soles and how they are tied, with some preferring classic laces, and others preferring a special tightening disc.

“Generally, the soles of racing shoes are very soft so we get the best possible feel of the pedals. But the material of the entire shoe varies. The ones I wear are made from soft leather, and they are probably the best and most expensive ones available today.

"I like the fact that the material is very soft, so they’re a nice snug fit without being too tight. The disadvantage is that the leather stretches after a few races and even the little disc can’t tighten them properly after that. I get through at least two racing pairs a year,” world champion and multiple Czech champion Jan Kopecký told RallySportMag.com in a 2020 interview.

10 top-tier Rally1 hybrid vehicles and 11 WRC2 competitors are on the entry list for this year. The list also features the Kenyan trio of McRae Kimathi, Jeremiah Wahome, and Hamza Anwar, who make up the five-person WRC3 line-up. 

Four Kenyan drivers are listed in the national category: Josiah Kariuki (Subaru), Minesh Rathod, and Evans Kavisi (all representing a local bank's team).

Reigning WRC champion Kalle Rovanpera, also the reigning champion in the Safari Rally will renew his rivalry with Sébastien Ogier (France), who won in 2021. Rovanpera goes into the official flag-off on Thursday, June 22, having led in the shakedown.

President William Ruto with Nakuru Governor, Susan Kihika during the WRC Safari Rally shakedown in Naivasha on June 21, 2023. /TWITTER.MUTUA LOYD