8 JANUARY

Glen and Dez were bitterly disappointed about the cancellation of the Dakar Rally. There had been so much work and effort in the preparation for the last 12 months and they had already passed the difficult part of scrutineering.

The official press release from the ASO about the cancellation of the rally: A.S.O. cancels the 2008 edition of the Dakar rally

After different exchanges with the French government - in particular the Ministry for Foreign Affairs - , and based on their firm recommendations, the organisers of the Dakar have taken the decision to cancel the 2008 edition of the rally, scheduled from the 5th to the 20th of January between Lisbon and Senegal’s capital.

Based on the current international political tension and the murder of four French tourists last 24th of December linked to a branch of Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb, but also and mainly the direct threats launched directly against the race by terrorist organisations, no other decision but the cancellation of the sporting event could be taken by A.S.O.

A.S.O.’s first responsibility is to guarantee the safety of all: that of the populations in the countries visited, of the amateur and professional competitors, of the technical assistance personnel, of the journalists, partners and rally collaborators. A.S.O. therefore reaffirms that the choice of security is not, has never been and will never be a subject of compromise at the heart of the Dakar rally.

A.S.O. condemns the terrorist menace that annihilates a year of hard work, engagement and passion for all the participants and the different actors of the world’s biggest off-road rally. Aware of the huge frustration, especially in Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, and beyond the general disappointment and the huge economical consequences in terms of direct and indirect repercussions for the countries visited, A.S.O. will continue to defend the major values of great sporting events and will carry on its engagement for a durable development through the Actions Dakar, started 5 years ago in sub-Saharan Africa with SOS Sahel International.

The Dakar is a symbol and nothing can destroy symbols. The cancellation of the 2008 edition does not endanger the future of the Dakar. To offer, for 2009 a new adventure to all the off-road rally passionate is a challenge that A.S.O. will take on in the months to come, faithful to its engagement and its passion for sports.

4 JANUARY

Today is spent formalizing loose ends and packing your individual boxes. Their is still much to do before the podium start at 10:30 tomorrow morning!

3 JANUARY

Scrutineering

After 8 hours of scrutineering the Kenya Kwanza team passed with flying colours! Glen says that The quality of the competitors is very high with vehicle preparation of professional standards.

Glen and Dez found ASO, the governing body of the Dakar Rally, to be very thorough but fair. The day consisted of document checks, which alone took 1.5 hours! This was followed by collecting equipment, two equipment briefings, organizing boat tickets for crossing the Mediterranean, and onto the vehicle checks. After this is complete, your Dakar number is put on the vehicle along with Sponsor stickers, etc. After you are cleared you drive onto the exhibitors ramp and then into Parc Ferme.

29 OCTOBER, 2007

Just got back from the test in Morocco.

The car was completed in its standard form and we put 1100 kms on the car in five days of testing. I was determined to ensure the car was reliable, so every evening the mechanics had quite a job list to get through before the following day's test.

The car stood up very well to the abuse and I was surprised just how easy it was to drive. Although not like a rally car, the Dakar car is very tall and not necessarily built for speed, it's designed for strength and reliability. The routes took us on previous Dakar roads, so we were able to see exactly what we were up against. Morocco had it all: rocks, dust, sand and huge dunes.

I was impressed with what the car could climb. There is amazing torque from the BMW six cylinder turbo diesel engines, and the power delivery was much better after we changed the computer.

The suspension was good, and a combination of the Reiger shock absorber and the Fox shock is a good middle of the road combination. Best would be Reiger suspension all round but that can come for the next Dakar.

The cabin is small for two men, and not much room to store anything, so as you can imagine bottles of water and are in every spare place. Once you get the crash helmets off there is even less place in the cabin.

We also met other members of the team, who had done previous Dakar's so we are able to gauge our pace with them and I was left Morocco feeling quietly confident that we would have a good event.

Going to the test and practicing would prove invaluable, the dunes are formidable, and this year we spend at least 30% of the event in them. Driving dunes is a unique experience and I cannot imagine just how difficult it would have been doing the Dakar with out the Morocco test to settle the car and tune my driving skills.

We have completed the order for the team kit and are now finalizing Visa's and tidying up loose ends. It's amazing how much kit we have to fit into a tiny trunk, if we need more space you can have it but it comes at exorbitant cost.

APRIL

During the Easter Holidays, my family and I were at our house in Kilifi, on the Kenya coast. The Dakar Rally popped into my thoughts and I started surfing the web, looking for information about the event just out of curiosity. Like many rally drivers, the Dakar has always been a dream of mine - the ultimate test of man and machine in extreme conditions. I never imagined that I would actually be able to do it.

I came across a company called Rally Raid UK that build and prepare cars specifically for the Dakar, plus handle all the logistics for you. I sent them an e-mail and asked the price of entering. I was bowled over by the response! Can't imagine how any privateer could afford to enter the event, yet they are oversubscribed every year!

The more I thought about the event, the more I wanted to do it. Sent an e-mail to D& D Aviation (Trackmark Ltd) and asked them if he would be interested in sponsoring the event. I explained the layout of the race and that the publicity would be good for Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School.

Four days later, they e-mailed back and said, "yes!" I'll never forget that day as long as I live. It was an amazing feeling! Just to know that people believed in me and my abilities enough that they would give me a chance at fulfilling my dream of doing the Dakar!

When we got back to Nairobi I asked Dez Page Morris, my Kenya rally navigator to have lunch with me. Before food arrived, I asked him if he would be interested in being my navigator for the Dakar. Dez was shocked and couldn't believe it. "You actually have a sponsor for the full amount of the rally?" he asked. "You mean, this is for real? You're really doing this?" It had also been a life long dream for Dez and he immediately said, YES!

After that, we needed to choose a team name and color scheme. I decided that since we were the first Kenyans to enter a team in the Dakar we would call the team Kenya Kwanza! (Kwanza means first in Kiswahili, the national language of Kenya).

I contacted my friend Saqib, and we started working on designs for the team, color schemes and other graphic layouts. The Kenya Kwanza logo was borne!

We also needed someone to represent us from a PR point of view. Since Silver Bullet of AY & R had done such a fantastic job looking after Dez and I when we were with the Caltex racing team, I decided to ask them. They were very excited and jumped at the opportunity.

JUNE

Our entry is officially accepted by ASO, the governing body of the Dakar! Happy and relived that our entry was accepted as we would feel a complete idiot if the entry was refused and we were stuck with a car and NO event!

On 2 June I had the opportunity to meet Charley Boorman and Ewan McGreggor. (See photo top right). Charley and Ewan, both Hollywood actors had completed an around the world trip on motorcycles and made a series called the Long Way Round. Charley went onto do another series called the Race to Dakar, which documented his harrowing adventures on a motorcycle in the 2005 Dakar event.

I spent a couple of hours with them, and Charley and gave me some useful hints and tips on what to look out for and how to prepare for the Dakar. He warned me about the dangers involved, what to look out for on the dunes, and how important it is to have a good test before the event. He also suggested that we get the car as comfortable as possible for us. He also said that it was important to get as much sleep as possible. Because of the constant noise through the night he suggested taking an I-pod and a cover for our eyes. He also warmed me not to take too much stuff cause they charge per kilo.

Ewan just shook his head and thought we were both crazy!

On the 17th of June, my wife, Kim and I decided to go to UK and visit Rally Raid and see the car and discuss modifications and specs.

We meet Paul Round, the founder of Rally Raid UK, who is leaving that afternoon for holiday in America and only has a few hours to spend with us. SO many questions and so little time!

Paul and his son Mark have now competed in seven Dakar Rallies, and last year brought a change in the sense that they are both now taking part in the assistance side of the rally; Mark as an assistance driver and Paul as a Team Manager, helping to get the six cars and nine bikes to the end of the rally.

The car is called a Desert Warrior and although only in chassis form, looks good. Another Desert Warrior that entered the Dakar the year before was also in the garage. This gave us a chance to see the car complete and to see the workmanship, set up, etc. I was both impressed and surprised. The shape and style of the car is a totally different concept to rallying. The car is big and high and not much room inside. Paul is leaving for USA in the afternoon many questions so little time. He was reassuring, and helpful and made me happy that I had chosen to join their team.

Beady, Paul's engineer and Dakar veteran was also there. Between them, we gathered enough information to make us really excited and terrified all at the same time!

When we came back to Kenya, Kim, put me on a strict eating and exercise regime. My knees are still sore from over exercise a few months prior, but am starting to get back into the fitness mode again. I'll definitely need to be fit to tackle the long hours of driving, for the Dakar.

JULY

The 3rd of July marked the official launch of the Kenya Kwanza team and our participation in the Dakar to the media and press. Silver Bullet held a special launch at the Glen Edmunds Performance Driving School facility. It was well attended by 24 journalist and the assistant minister of sport, the honorable, Mr Joel Onyanchah. Mr Onyanchah promised government support for the team and wished us well. After the event I took him for a ride around the school track and showed him some advanced anti-carjacking maneuvers such as J - Turns and Hand Brake turns. He really enjoyed it. Since then we've been doing quite a few interview for both TV and radio. The journey continues.