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Team Huzi clinches victory at Rhino Charge 2025
Team Huzi members Mikey Hughes, Matt Evans, Russel Hughes, Jeremy Holley, Ryan Outram, and Ollie Outram celebrate their overall victory at Rhino Charge 2025
Team Huzi emerged as the overall winners of the 2025 Rhino Charge 2025.
The 36th edition of the homegrown Kenyan off-road motorsport event attracted a full entry list of 65 competition vehicles, a feat last achieved in 2014.
Held in Saimo-Soi, Baringo County on May 31, 2025, Rhino Charge 2025 was one of Kenya’s most challenging off-road competitions. Team Huzi (Car No. 33) emerged as the overall winners of this globally recognised conservation fundraiser. The team secured the win in the shortest route of just 27.33 km across some of Kenya’s most rugged terrain. They also came second at the Gauntlet stage, which is a hotly contested stage.
The name “Huzi” is drawn from the Hughes family name, a nod to the intergenerational legacy that defines the team. What began with Tony Hughes and Martin Evans behind the wheel has evolved into a tight-knit unit led by their sons, Mikey Hughes and Matt Evans, supported by Russel Hughes, Jeremy Holley, Ryan and Ollie Outram.
This team, now six years strong in its current formation, exemplifies resilience. From mechanical setbacks to medical emergencies, they’ve faced every obstacle with resolve.
Sponsored by STIHL East Africa - global technology leader in chain saws, gardening and power tools - with a contribution of Sh1.5 million, Team Huzi’s victory is a culmination of relentless growth and performance, said Francois Marais, Managing Director, STIHL East Africa.
The STIHL East Africa and Team Huzi crews come together after a landmark Rhino Charge 2025 performance.
“Looking at the humble but confident attitude that Team Huzi displays every year, as well as an unwavering determination to succeed, it was clear from the start that STIHL and Car 33 would make great partners. This year that partnership was proven, and we look forward to many more successes together - both at the Charge and in creating awareness about conservation,” added Mr Francois.
“We are proud to carry the STIHL banner and to be part of this wider conservation story. Winning this year’s Charge is a huge moment for our team and a reminder of why we keep showing up, year after year,” said Jeremy Holley, Team Leader, Team Huzi.
With this milestone win, STIHL East Africa and Team Huzi prove that when grit meets purpose, great things happen for people, for nature, and for the future. Team Huzi’s 2025 win reflects their determination, discipline, and unity under pressure, all trait Worldwide, STIHL takes a very active role in preserving nature and helping shape the way people interact with it sustainably, he noted, while adding: “In Kenya, we chose to support Rhino Ark primarily because they have real-world impact.”
The Rhino Charge motorsport is a fundraising challenge that requires participants to navigate between 13 off-road checkpoints over a 10-hour period, not in the fastest time, but in the shortest possible distance.
Mikey Hughes and Matt Evans of Team Huzi during the 2025 Rhino Charge.
This year’s event raised a record Sh269 million, bringing the total raised since inception to Sh2.4 billion. Proceeds from the event support Rhino Ark Kenya Charitable Trust, a non-profit focused on conserving Kenya’s mountain ecosystems - the “Water Towers” that supply water to millions and sustain vital biodiversity.
Rhino Ark has used these funds to build over 650 km of electric fencing, protect over 80,000 families from human-wildlife conflict, and invest in conservation education, forest restoration, and carbon neutrality initiatives. Team Huzi is now planning for the next event on 30th May 2026.