'What followed my resignation at City vindicated me', says Igathe as he joins the race for Nairobi

Former Nairobi Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe is to vie for Goveronr on Jubilee ticket if he goes through nomination stage. [File, Standard]

Former Nairobi Deputy Governor Polycarp Igathe has joined the capital city’s race for Governor. 

In an exclusive interview with KTN News Tuesday night, Igathe revealed that he had expressed interest in vying on a Jubilee party ticket. 

He now joins the incumbent Ann Kananu, KNCCI boss Richard Ngatia in the race to secure the ruling party’s ticket. 

“I am running for a Jubilee ticket which I hope to get by the end of the week,” Igathe said. 

The former DG who boasts of a rich experience in the corporate world and an ardent business manager expressed his optimism in winning the party’s nomination despite joining the race late. 

“I am not late. It is just 12 weeks to election and elections in Kenya are critical three months to the D-day. But we campaign every day here,’ Igathe said. 

When asked whether he was a political project he said “I am a project of Nairobi residents. I have been approached by people everywhere asking me to go for this office. That is why we erected billboards across the city asking ‘Nairobi mnataka nini’. This is a subject we have discussed for 21 days. Above all, I am a project of God,” he added. 

Then went on “The other day people were giving me a job as the CEO of Rubis which I am not. Nairobi is too important to be trivialized by lack of unity and focus,” 

Days before, fake news had emerged online suggesting that Igathe had been appointed the CEO of Rubis, an oil marketing company. 

Five years ago, Igathe and former Governor Mike Sonko were elected on a joint ticket to serve the people of Nairobi. However, barely six months after taking office, Igathe penned a resignation letter to his then boss Mike Sonko politely regretting having been unable to win the trust of his boss and went back to the corporate world. 

During the interview, Igathe opened up on his exit from City Hall saying it was in the interest of his voters. He has said he could not continue being part of a system where he could not deliver the promises he gave to the people of Nairobi during their campaigns. 

“I stepped down to avoid abusing the trust bestowed upon me by God and the voters. This was because I didn’t participate in cabinet appointment nor nomination of MCAs. I had not performed any duty in six months. That is why I exited and went quiet,” he opened up. 

“Power belongs to the people, if you see you are going to betray your promises, step down. I could not stay in a public office doing nothing. I wake up to a calling not an alarm. God has vindicated me. I will explain more during the campaigns,” 

If elected into office, Igathe has promised to teach Nairobi that politics should be about service. Moreover, he has proposed to curb greed and boost public need, improve water and sanitation, better traffic flow in the city and restore sanity in the Nairobi City Council. 

Hours to publicizing his political ambition, speculations were rife to the effect that there had been a meeting at State House and that he had been part of it.  Sections of media had reported that the State House meeting cleared the way for the former Equity Group Holdings Ltd chief commercial officer to be named Azimio-One Kenya Alliance candidate for the Nairobi governor’s seat. 

Executive Director of Raila Odinga's Azimio La Umoja campaign secretariat Raphael Tuju admitted to ongoing engagements to settle on the coalition’s Nairobi flagbearer but said he was not directly involved. ​