Social media is still raving up over Sunday (July 12) night’s gubernatorial debate pitting the Nairobi county seat hopefuls: Johnson Sakaja and Polycarp Igathe.
Presided over by TV journalists Mark Masai and Zubeida Koome, the debate sparked major conversation amongst Kenyans given the barbs traded by the two politicians and the varied takeaways derived from their back and forth. The once good friends put their cordial relations at bay in their bid to prove to Nairobi residents (and the whole nation, really) who the better pick is.
For starters, Sakaja was heavily criticized for showing up to the debate late, and not showing any remorse or giving an elaborate explanation for the same. Then, Igathe would throw a not-so-subtle jab at his opponent by asserting that he (Igathe) would be the better fit for the seat as he is not a school dropout, unlike Sakaja. The latter returned the favor by imploring Nairobi residents to not vote Igathe in, suggesting that he is timid and therefore unfit for office, alleging that Igathe quit office when he served as Mike Sonko’s deputy as he was scared off by cartels.
Then came Sakaja’s trouble with the moderators. From his war of words with Koome after the KTN presenter questioned the validity of his name (which he didn’t take lying down) to him speaking even after both moderators told him his time was up, it was a full-on tiff. Igathe yet again called his opponent out, stating that his behavior was indicative of his lack of discipline, which he reckoned is synonymous with people who didn’t finish school.
Check out some of the reactions below:
