The Nairobi gubernatorial race has since taken a different turn as the two leading camps engage in cross-fires. The Azimio camp fired the first salvo after it accused UDA’s flagbearer Johnson Sakaja of lacking the requisite academic credentials. Sakaja was accused of lacking a degree certificate.
In his rejoinder, the lawmaker is believed to have commissioned one of his allies to petition the eligibility of Polycarp Igathe’s candidature.
Sakaja’s ally, only identified as George Bush, lodged a complaint with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Dispute Resolution committee seeking the disqualification of Igathe.
The petitioner sought Igathe’s disqualification on grounds of abdicating his official duties as the duly elected deputy governor of Nairobi county for the period 2017-2022.
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“Igathe having been duly elected the deputy governor of Nairobi City County in the 2017 general election, deliberately refused to execute the duties of the office, abdicate his office and eventually walked out of office never to return again without even tendering his resignation. What followed was an unprecedented constitutional crisis and suffering for the great people of Nairobi county, ” Bush states in his complaint with IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee.
“His(Igathe) nomination to the Nairobi gubernatorial contest is a waste of voters’ time and a waste of public resources.”
The petition seeking Igathe’s disqualification comes amid a myriad of questions on the credibility of the degree certificate that Sakaja presented before IEBC during his clearance.
Led by blogger Robert Alai, Igathe’s proxies have poked holes in Sakaja’s academic qualifications. The blogger accused the voluble legislator of using forged papers from a Ugandan university, which he did not study in, to gain IEBC clearance.
In past an interview with comedian David Ndambuki also known as Churchill, Sakaja documented his life journey stating that he pursued an Architectural degree at the University of Nairobi before thrusting himself into politics at a youthful age. In another separate past interview with musician Nyashinski, Sakaja stated that he has never studied outside Kenya.
The emergence of the senator’s past revelations has now raised questions about his education. The University of Nairobi, where he claims to have pursued a degree, has also clarified that the Nairobi politico is still an active student at the institution. The institution stated that the politician is yet to complete his course.
