Nairobi gubernatorial candidate on a Jubilee ticket, Polycarp Igathe, on Wednesday, June 22, recounted a time when a senator opened fire at him
Speaking during a meeting the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in Nairobi, Igathe recalled his altercation with nominated senator Paul Njoroge who fired his gun at the then corporate executive during a commotion in Naivasha.
The gubernatorial hopeful, who was out to prove that he was ready to tackle the cartels at City Hall, stated that the near-death experience came while he was fighting cartels in the oil industry - further using it as an example of his commitment.
"There is nothing so big in Nairobi that we have not faced in the private sector. I have been shot at and I have stood and faced bullets. I have faced difficulty in fighting cartels in the oil industry" he stated.
Igathe recalled how in February 2017, when he was the Managing Director of a local oil marketer, Njoroge fired at him at point-blank range during an operation he led - recovering the company's petrol stations in Naivasha.
The bullet missed the gubernatorial hopeful by a few inches - but he continued to reinforce the company policy.
During the incident, the former nominated senator mumbled a few words in Kikuyu 'no one is coming here' as the crowd, which had gathered around to witness the scuffle, scampered for safety.
Igathe explained that the company had gone to debrand the fuel station, which the ex-senator was operating under the franchise, over failure to replenish the fuel stock for over two weeks.
"I had sent my workers to debrand because we do not allow stations to go dry, and they called me to say that they had encountered some resistance and because he is a senior person in society, I came to talk to him but what I was met with were gunshots and threats," Igathe stated.
On his part, Njoroge claimed that he had obtained a court order to stop the rebranding and that he had made arrangements to recharge his storage. Igathe eventually withdrew charges leveled against the senator.
In addition, the gubernatorial candidate narrated that while working for another manufacturer, he led an operation to bust out fake pens, a move that led to his appointment to the county's first anti-counterfeit agency.
The former Deputy Governor opined that his resignation from office should not be used to gauge his leadership record.
He explained that his roles were to assist the governor and that things would be different in 2022 since he would be the county boss.
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