Polycarp Igathe

Last updated

Polycarp Igathe
Deputy Governor of Nairobi City County
In office
21 August 2017 31 January 2018
Occupation

Polycarp Igathe Kamau (born 21 September 1972) is a Kenyan businessman, politician and corporate executive, He acts as the Chief Commercial Officer in Equity Group Holdings. He had earlier served as the Vice President in charge of Sales and Marketing in Vivo Energy Africa. [1] Before that, he had served as the Chief Commercial Officer of Equity Bank Kenya, between May 2018 and September 2018 when he was later promoted to the managing director position. [2]

Contents

Igathe was elected as the second Deputy Governor of Nairobi County in the 2017 Kenyan general elections on a Jubilee Party ticket. [3] [4] [5] Prior to this he served as managing director Vivo Energy Kenya Kenya, [6] before resigning in May 2017, to run for office. [7] [3] [4] He resigned as Deputy Governor of Nairobi County on 31 January 2018. [3]

Igathe vied for the Nairobi Governor position during the 2022 General election under the Azimio-OKA coalition and came second after garnering 573,518 votes compared to UDA's Johnson Sakaja who garnered 699,392 votes.

Education

Igathe obtained a Bachelor of Arts in economics and sociology, from the University of Nairobi [8] and is a graduate of the Strathmore University's Advanced Management Program (AMP) with IESE Business School in Spain. [9] At the University of Nairobi, Igathe was the National Chairman of AIESEC in Kenya. [10]

Career before politics

Straight out of the University of Nairobi in 1995, Igathe was employed in Australia as a finance officer at Queensland Health in Australia. He returned to Kenya a year and a half later and took up employment with Coca-Cola, where he worked until 2000. He then joined Africa Online as a sales and marketing manager. He was then hired by Kenya Breweries Limited, working as sales operations manager and then as marketing manager. He then worked as the managing director at Haco Industries for ten years, prior to joining Vivo Energy Kenya, in 2003. [8]

Igathe chaired the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, from 2012 until 2014. He also chaired the Petroleum Institute of East Africa, from 2014 until 2016. [10] [11] Other responsibilities included, Director and Trustee of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, from 2014 until 2016 and chairman and member of the Board of Management of Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls High School since 2010. [10]

The President of Kenya appointed Polycarp Igathe to chair the Anti-Counterfeit Agency in 2015, where he served for a year. He was then appointed chairman Special Economic Zones Authority of Kenya in October 2016. [10]

Politics

Igathe was elected to the position of Deputy Governor Nairobi City County in the 2017 general elections on the Jubilee political party ticket, as Mike Sonko's running mate. [5] He resigned abruptly on 12 January 2018, citing lack of trust from his boss. [3] [12] On 19 April 2022, Igathe announced his candidature to run for Nairobi gubernatorial seat on Jubilee ticket way late, considering there were other three candidates who are also vying on the same ticket. In 2022, he was nominated to fly the gubernatorial flag for the Azimio-OKA coalition in the August 2022 general election.

Family

He is married to Catherine Igathe, and together are the parents of three children, one son and two daughters.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uhuru Kenyatta</span> President of Kenya from 2013 to 2022

Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. The son of Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, he previously served as Deputy Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenyatta University</span> Public university in Nairobi, Kenya

Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi, Kenya. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uganda Securities Exchange</span> Principal stock exchange of Uganda

The Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) is the principal stock exchange of Uganda. It was founded in June 1997. The USE is operated under the jurisdiction of Uganda's Capital Markets Authority, which in turn reports to the Bank of Uganda, Uganda's central bank.

Geoffrey William Griffin OBE was the founding director of Starehe Boys' Centre and School in Kenya. He founded the centre in November, 1959 with the help of Geoffrey Gatama Geturo and Joseph Kamiru Gikubu. He was director of the centre from its founding to his death in 2005. He was also the founding director of the National Youth Service between 1964 and 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corruption in Kenya</span>

Corruption in the government of Kenya has a history which spans the era of the founding president Jomo Kenyatta, to Daniel arap Moi's KANU, Mwai Kibaki's PNU governments. President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party government, and the current William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza administration has also been riddled with massive cases of graft, topping in the list of corrupt Presidents in Africa

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Bank of Kenya</span> Monetary authority of Kenya

The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) is the monetary authority of Kenya. Its head office is located in Nairobi. CBK was founded by in 1966 after the dissolution of East African Currency Board (EACB). Dr. Kamau Thugge, CBS is the current Governor and Dr. Susan Koech is the Deputy Governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wiper Democratic Movement – Kenya</span> Kenyan political party

The Wiper Democratic Movement–Kenya (WDM-K), formerly Orange Democratic Movement–Kenya (ODM–Kenya), is a political party in Kenya, which originated as a result of the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The party tends to be more popular among the Kamba people. It is headed by Kalonzo Musyoka, who ran for president in 2007 and served as the vice-president in the Grand Coalition of Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. He is now a member of the main opposition Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Party.

Housing Finance Company Limited, commonly referred to as Housing Finance, is a commercial bank in Kenya, regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya, the central bank and national banking regulator. HFC is major mortgage lender in Kenya and was the second-largest in the market with KSh33.7 billion in mortgage loans, as of December 2019. At that time, Kenya Commercial Bank, the largest mortgage lender in the country had KSh64.3 billion in mortgage loans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rwanda Stock Exchange</span> Stock exchange located in Kigali, Rwanda

Rwanda Stock Exchange Limited (RSE) is a Rwandan Stock Exchange and was incorporated on 7 October 2005. The Stock Exchange was demutualized from the start as it was registered as a company limited by shares. The company was officially launched on 31 January 2011.

Mbuvi Gideon Kioko, popularly known as Mike Sonko or simply Sonko, is a controversial Kenyan politician who served as the second Governor of Nairobi. He was removed from the office of the governor by a form of impeachment by the Senate of the Republic of Kenya on Abuse of Office, Gross Misconduct and Crimes under National Law on 17 December 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evans Kidero</span> Kenyan politician (born 1957)

Evans Odhiambo Kidero is a Kenyan politician and former Governor of Nairobi County. He was CEO of Mumias Sugar Company for 8 years, resigning in 2012 to join elective politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Rotich</span> Kenyan civil servant

Henry K. Rotich is a Kenyan civil servant who was nominated by President Uhuru Kenyatta as Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury on 23 April 2013. On 14 January 2020, Rotich, who had been arrested on charges of corruption, was removed from this position.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Equity Group Holdings</span> Financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region

Equity Group Holdings Limited (EGHL), formerly Equity Bank Group, is a financial services holding company based in the African Great Lakes region. EGHL's headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, with subsidiaries in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo and a representative office in Ethiopia.

Samuel Kamau Macharia, also known as S. K. Macharia, is the Kenyan founder and chair of Royal Media Services, one of Kenya's largest private radio and television networks. Royal Media Services' flagship outlets are Citizen TV and Radio Citizen. In 2012, Macharia was on Forbes Top 10 List of African Millionaires to Watch. He was on Africa Report's 2013 list of the 50 most influential Africans. And was honoured with the 2015 Eastern Africa Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award.

Johnson Arthur Sakaja is a Kenyan politician serving as the governor of Nairobi City County since 25 August 2022. Previously, he served as the Senator of Nairobi from 2017 to 2022, and as a nominated Member of the National Assembly from 2013 to 2017. He was nominated to Parliament by The National Alliance (TNA) party which was part of the ruling Jubilee Coalition. He was the National Chairman of The National Alliance (TNA) until 9 September 2016 when the party merged with 12 others to form the Jubilee Party.

Beatrice Elachi is a Kenyan politician who currently serves as the member of parliament for Dagoretti North constituency. Prior, she served as Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly from 6 September 2017 until her resignation on 11 August 2020. As Speaker of the Nairobi County Assembly, she replaced Alex Ole Magelo, who did not contest his seat. Immediately prior to her election, she was the Majority Whip in the Kenya Senate.

Chandarana Food Plus Supermarkets, is a Kenyan supermarket chain operated by Chandarana Food Plus Supermarkets Limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Kenyan general election</span>

General elections were held in Kenya on Tuesday, 9 August 2022. Voters elected the president, governors, senators, members of the National Assembly, and members of county assemblies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Azimio la Umoja</span> Political party in Kenya

Azimio la Umoja–One Kenya Coalition Party, popularly referred to as Azimio la Umoja, or simply Azimio, is a Kenyan political alliance and party headed by Raila Odinga. It is composed of the Orange Democratic Movement, the Jubilee Party, NARC–Kenya, KANU, and other parties. Former president Uhuru Kenyatta is the party's patron. The alliance fielded Odinga as its presidential candidate and Martha Karua as its deputy presidential candidate in the 2022 Kenyan election, which they lost.

Edwin Watenya Sifuna is a Kenyan politician and the current Senator of Nairobi County after being elected in the 2022 Kenyan general election. He is the Secretary-General of the ODM Party and the deputy minority whip in the Senate of Kenya.

References

  1. Kamau, Macharia (4 August 2019). "Polycarp Igathe returned to Equity Bank from Vivo". The Standard (Kenya) . Nairobi. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  2. Njaja, Annie (15 May 2018). "Igathe returns to corporate world with Equity Bank job". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Githae, Wanjohi (12 January 2018). "Polycarp Igathe resigns as Nairobi Deputy Governor". Daily Nation . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  4. 1 2 Otieno, Bonface (31 January 2018). "No way back for Igathe to City Hall". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
  5. 1 2 Olingo, Allan (12 August 2017). "Kenya's ruling party to finally control Nairobi county". The EastAfrican . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. Mulupi, Dinfin (20 November 2013). "Meet the Boss: Polycarp Igathe, MD, Vivo Energy". Howwemadeitinafrica.com. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  7. Herbling, David (17 May 2017). "Igathe quits Vivo to take up Sonko offer". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  8. 1 2 Biko, Jackson (4 June 2015). "Why Polycarp Igathe thinks he'll lose before he wins". Business Daily Africa . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  9. Gitonga, Wahome (12 January 2018). "Things about Polycarp Igathe that will interest you". Nairobi: Citizen Television Kenya. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Everything You Need To Know About Polycarp Igathe, Mike Mbuvi's Deputy Governor Choice". Habari News Daily. Nairobi. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  11. Karambu, Immaculate (5 August 2014). "Big cooking gas dealers choke under weight of small re-fillers". Daily Nation . Nairobi. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  12. Githae, Wanjohi (13 January 2018). "City stares at crisis as Polycarp Igathe ditches Sonko". Daily Nation . Nairobi. Retrieved 13 January 2018.