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Kenyans have their say on Sakaja-Igathe debate


Nairobi gubernatorial candidates Johnson Sakaja of UDA and Polycarp Igathe Jubilee on Monday faced off during a heated gubernatorial debate on their suitability to run the affairs of the city.

The candidates, who initially referred to each other as good friends, put their friendship aside and tore into each other at every available opportunity.

It all started after Sakaja showed up 20 minutes late for the debate at Catholic University for Eastern Africa, something some Kenyans online did not take kindly.

Sakaja jokingly said, without elaborating, that he wanted to give his main rival in the race, Polycarp Igathe, a head start as he is used to.

“The reason why I’m late is because Igathe is used to head-starts and I wanted to give him one,” Sakaja said.

But in a quick rejoinder, Igathe said Sakaja was late because of the traffic within Nairobi.

“I know he is late due to traffic. He shouldn’t worry, I will sort out the traffic when I become governor,” he said.

Igathe threw the first punch when he said he was the best fit as the Nairobi Governor as opposed to school dropouts, his remark undoubtedly made in reference to the controversy surrounding Sakaja’s university academic qualifications.

Sakaja would later get his opportunity to returned the favour when Igathe at some point said he had achieved a lot during the short stint he served as Mike Sonko’s deputy after the 2017 general election.

“You have never been a governor,” Sakaja said, to which Igathe quickly retorted that he was deputy governor.

Moments later, Igathe had another opportunity to throw another punch at Sakaja when the senator insisted on continuing to speak even after the moderators told him his time was up.

Zubeida Koome and Mark Masai had to intervene to get Sakaja to allow his opponent to speak.

“Mambo ya Nairobi ni mazito. Shida za Nairobi hauwezi zungumzia kwa dakika moja, baada azungumze naomba utuongeze dakika moja zaidi (The troubles in Nairobi are to hefty, you can’t address them within a minute. I ask that you give us an extra minute),” Sakaja said.

The moderators, however, refused to bend the rules and reminded Sakaja that he arrived late for the debate.

Here are some comments Kenyans shared online about the debate.