• Speaking during the governor debate on Monday night, the career chief executive said a degree qualification is just a bonus to good leadership.
• Igathe said his track record as a people servant makes him the best pick for the seat of governor.
Nairobi gubernatorial candidate on the Jubilee ticket Polycarp Igathe believes a degree is not the most important qualification for a leader to perform.
Speaking during the governor debate on Monday night, the career chief executive said a degree qualification is just a bonus to good leadership.
"No, it's just the beginning because you must have attained the required academic qualifications. But the most important part is that you must be competent for the work at hand," Igathe said.
"Being a people servant requires you to be committed from the bottom of your heart," he added.
Igathe said his track record as a people servant makes him the best pick for the seat of governor.
"Nimeuza soda kea kiosk, nimeuza biro kwa bookshop, nimeuza pombe kwa bar and hivi karibuni nilikuwa nauza pesa kwa mama mboga, kwa watu wa matatu," Igathe said.
This loosely translates to, " I have sold sodas in kiosks, I have sold biro pens in bookshops, I have sold alcohol in bars and I was recently selling money to grocery operators and matatu crew."
The interview was predominately conducted in Swahili with Zubeida Koome of KTN and Mark Masai of NTV who spoke mostly in English.
UDA candidate Johnson Sakaja arrived 19 minutes after the debate began.
"Nilikuwa nataka kumpa nafasi aanze amezoea kupewa nafasi ya kwanza," Sakaja said when asked why he was late.
(I wanted to give him time to go first, he is used to going first)
Sakaja swiftly maneuvered around the degree issue saying it's not only important but it's a requirement for leadership.
He downplayed the controversy surrounding his qualifications saying he is a degree holder and that's how he managed to feature in the debate.
"That's the reason I'm here, that's the reason I have been gazetted," he said.
"I do have all the qualifications, and not just that. I have the competence, the character, I have the will and the experience to lead this county of Nairobi."
Sakaja said the concerns raised about his degree are politically motivated.
"I do have a degree from Team University. I presented it on the 6th od last month to the competent authority which is the commission for university education...they verified it by the commission in our neighbouring country," he said.
"It's my detractors trying hard to prove that I don't have one," he added.