Nairobi — The Kenyan rally community is mourning the loss of one of Safari Rally's stalwarts of the 1990s, Tom Muriuki.

The businessman and IT professional, who navigated in the Kenya National Rally Championships and WRC Safaris back in the day, died in Nairobi in his 50s on Friday morning.

Jimmy Wahome, his driver in the 90s, described Muriuki as "a towering figure in motor sport."

"Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time and he will be greatly missed by the motorsport fraternity, more so, his contemporaries," Jimmy, father of 2022 WRC3 Safari winner Maxine Wahome, said.

Muriuki rallied between 1994 and 2000 with Jimmy whom he guided to three WRC Safari finishes in a row- the first indegenous crew to achieve the feat.

During his competition days, Muriuki also sat with a few drivers among them Karim Wasanji, Musa Locho, Kimanthi Maingi and Azar Anwar among others.

He gained fame as a member of the Shell Rally Team which was composed of Phineas Kimathi (the current KMSF Chairman and WRC Safari Rally Kenya CEO, Jimmy Wahome, Musa Locho (Safari's current technical delegate) and the late Gregory Kibiti.

The deceased ran a string of pharmacies called ET Monks in Nairobi. He was always a sportsman and a very established cyclist from his school days.

Muriuki relocated to the United States in early 2000 and returned to Kenya 10 years ago. He retired to farming in the later years of his life and spared some time in rally organizing.

His other driver Musa Locho, on his part, said: "He got me into rallying and was my first navigator during debut on the CRC event in 1999. He connected me with his first cousin Tutu (Carol Wahome), who became my permanent navigator since he was committed to Jimmy Wahome. Most humorous chap. We shall miss him dearly."