NAIROBI - Hyundai's world championship leader Thierry Neuville took the early lead in Safari Rally Kenya on Thursday after winning the 4.84km opening Kasarani stage near Nairobi.

The rally proper starts on Friday, with six stages around Lake Naivasha to the north-west of the capital, and Neuville will go into it leading Estonian team mate Ott Tanak by 0.1 of a second.