The Nairobi Governor debate elicited fireworks as Azimio La Umoja candidate Polycarp Igathe and United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Johnson Sakaja faced off in the Nairobi gubernatorial debate.
Igathe and Sakaja took the opportunity to trade barbs with the Azimio candidate taking every opportunity to castigate Sakaja about the controversy surrounding his academic credentials, which has sparked heated debate both online and offline.
However, Sakaja on his part put a fierce defence on his education credentials yesterday, dismissing his opponent for the Nairobi Governorship.
Sakaja insisting the focus on his papers is a ploy to divert public attention to issues facing city residents.
While responding to questions about his governor bid, Igathe claimed to have beaten two other candidates for the Jubilee ticket.
He claimed tongue-in-cheek, that they also did not have degrees.
“Within the party, there were two other people, the ones who were running against me within the party also did not have degrees, I beat them,”
Sakaja, on the other hand, took advantage of the opportunity to criticize Igathe’s candidacy, claiming that Igathe was being sponsored by the State to run.
The current Nairobi senator highlighted that he had arrived at the debate at least 20 minutes late in order to give his competitor a head start.
“I pity my opponent because his strategy was premised on me being locked out of the race. My degree was certified by Commission for University Education having conferred with the sister agency in Uganda,” he fired back.
Igathe, Jubilee Party’s candidate in the City Hall race, had anchored his opening remarks during the debate of his credentials saying he was a product of public education in the country.
He went on to tear into Sakaja terming him as a fraud.
The debate reached a fever pitch after Sakaja accused Igathe of being sponsored to vie by the state.
According to Sakaja, there are receipts to the contrary that prove that some chiefs, and local administration have been cajoled to influence voting for Igathe.
“You cannot force individuals, DCCs, assistant chiefs…. the meeting at St.Georges primary school we know all these things, I can table this evidence,” Sakaja said.