Maxine Wahome: World Rally Championship Drops Kenyan Star As She Faces Murder Charges

Maxine Wahome: World Rally Championship Drops Kenyan Star As She Faces Murder Charges

Martin Moses
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:27 PM
  • Safari Rally Kenya has dropped Maxine Wahome following murder charges against her
  • Wahome shot to stardom last year after she lit up the World Rally Championships in Naivasha
  • She remains in police custody as she prepares to take a plea in her ex-boyfriend's murder case

Maxine Wahome's quick drop to grass has taken yet another brutal turn after the World Rally Championship cut ties with her.

Wahome is currently grappling with court proceedings after she was officially charged with the murder of her boyfriend, Assad Khan.

Maxine Wahome, Safari Rally, Assad Khan
Maxine Wahome appears in court on January 12 with her lawyer, Cliff Ombeta. Photo by Tony Karumba.
Source: Getty Images

Safari Rally has now dropped Wahome. She has also been removed from the Young Rally Stars program.

Other members of the program include Jeremy Wahome, McRae Kimathi, and Hamza Anwar.

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From history to notoriety

It is only last year that Wahome made history after she became the first woman to win a Safari Rally round. She took 25 minutes and 27 seconds to finish first in the WRC third-tier class.

She finished 16th overall in the four-day event in June that was won by Kalle Rovanpera. The 26-year-old led a 1-2-3 finish for Toyota Gazoo to take his fourth win in six legs this season.

Wahome's tribulations began when she was accused of physically assaulting her boyfriend, Khan, who was also a rally driver. He succumbed to his injuries, with the charge sheet amended from assault to murder.

The Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed their intention to charge Wahome with murder, with the court allowing the driver to be detained for one week until March 15, when she will reportedly take a plea against her charges.

She will also undergo a mental health examination to determine if she is fit to face trial.

Lewis Hamilton once congratulated Wahome

Wahome's efforts last year saw legendary Formula 1 driver, Lewis Hamilton take to his Instagram stories to congratulate her after she became the first Kenyan woman to win a WRC support round.

She powered her Ford Fiesta Rally 3 car to make history at the multi-billion event and then received recognition from arguably one of the greatest drivers of all time.

The seven-time F1 winner, Hamilton added a hands-up emoji to a story about Wahome, interpreted as signifying how proud he was of her.

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Martin Moses
Martin Moses is a sports journalist with over five years of experience in media. He graduated from Multimedia University of Kenya (Bachelor of Journalism, 2017-2021)
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