Kenyan karter Amani Kinyua sets sights on RMC & IAME Series in UAE

Amani Kinyua, a fourteen-year-old South African-based Kenyan Karter, faces a pivotal decision —choosing which nationality to represent ahead of the Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) and IAME Series in the UAE this September.

With his eyes set on the championships, the young driver dreams of becoming the first African driver to forge a pathway into Formula One.

Amani is the first professional karting driver from Kenya to compete internationally across multiple continents.

Lacking dedicated racing infrastructure at home, East African talents rely on South Africa’s RMC and ROK structures as their primary pipeline, where Amani has progressed through various age-graded categories.

His rise has been meteoric since his 2023 debut, where he finished fourth overall in the Rotax Max South African Championship Junior Division—the only time he has ever missed a podium.

His continental breakout arrived at the 2024 inaugural African Karting Cup at Gauteng's Zwartkops Kart Circuit, securing third in the OK-J Class among drivers from nine African Motorsport Federations.

He later claimed top spots in both the National Day Cup 2025 Senior Category with George Gibbons Motorsport and the 2025 IAME Series Senior Class in the UAE.

His dedication has caught the eye of paddock insiders, including Naomi Schiff, the Belgian-Rwandan former W Series driver and Sky Sports analyst.

Yet, family support remains his primary engine, underwriting the heavy costs of an international karting programme.

“My family has really tried. My dad is always with me when he can. I mostly travel alone nowadays but he is always calling in to make sure I am safe. Navigating immigration and getting to races wouldn’t be possible without him,” Amani says.

His father, Josphat Kinyua, recalls how the journey began.

“His initiative and passion during the COVID period got me to support this rare dream. I am not a motorsport enthusiast but I fell in love with the sport through him. He started off karting casually and then quickly realized he could go professional after a few races both indoor and outdoor.”

Kinyua also reflects on the sacrifices of raising an international athlete.

“It’s not easy when he is away from family. He started travelling alone at only twelve years old. For such a tender age trying to navigate their way into an airbnb in Italy, where he doesn’t speak the language or even the UAE to access races where you can only hope the card works is nothing short of a nightmare,” Kinyua explains.

“It’s tough for him to accept that he will be alone in many places, but he quickly has to adapt and mature.

“I get sleepless nights when he travels and can only hope and pray he is safe. It’s easier to deal with accidents rather than the uncertainty.”

Speaking at the Carnivore Grounds in Nairobi, Amani laid out his immediate roadmap.

“My main target towards the end of the year is to win the UAE championships in the calendar extending to April next year, win a European Championship–IAME Warriors Finals in Viterbo Italy and hopefully make my way into Formula 4,” he stated.

Mbalu Makau, a seasoned motorsport enthusiast and owner of The Paddock Experience, echoed the excitement surrounding the young phenom.

“It’s a privilege introducing this young man to the paddock experience. We are here to support his journey and hopefully see him in F1 someday,” Makau expressed.

Driven by Lewis Hamilton’s iconic 2020 Turkish Grand Prix radio message—“That’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible. You can do it too, man”—Amani continues to race toward history.