Accompanied by Sport Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba, Ruto first visited the rally’s service park near Lake Naivasha and mingled with crews before strapping himself into the co-driver’s seat of Pierre-Louis Loubet’s M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid for a high-speed run through shakedown.
Ruto, who will return to the event on Sunday to celebrate with the winners at Hell's Gate, was taken aback by the experience.
“I don’t know what to say, that thing is crazy!” he beamed, gesturing towards Loubet’s Puma. “Absolute madness - but it is an experience you cannot forget. The sheer speed, you can hardly see the road, you can hardly see the bend. These guys are really professional, it’s a life-changing adventure.”