The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has declared Senator Johnson Sakaja as the Governor-elect for Nairobi County.

Sakaja who was running on a UDA ticket narrowly won the race after garnering 699,392 votes against his closest competitor from the Jubile Party Polycarp Igathe who received 573,516 votes.

While receiving his election certificate in Kasarani, Sakaja acknowledged Igathe for his efforts and for holding on to the spirit of good politics.

"I want to acknowledge and thank my worthy opponents, especially my main opponent Polycarp Igathe who is a friend, who is a man I respect, who I have known. I want to thank him for his gallant efforts and that he held true to what he believed in...'saisa safi' that politics is not enmity," Sakaja said.

He also thanked all the governors who have served the Nairobi City County before him for their efforts and working through various challenges.

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"I want to acknowledge those who’ve been there before me. I want to thank his excellency, Evans Kidero, who was our first governor Nairobi. He set the foundations for the foundation for devolution in our county. He didn’t have an easy time. I’ve learned from his strengths and from his witnesses. I want to thank my friend Mike Mbuvi Sonko, our second governor of Nairobi, and I acknowledge the challenges went through. His successes and his weaknesses," Sakaja said.

"I want to thank Anne Kananu. The current governor. For what she has been able to go through these all people I speak to and I acknowledge them."

Sakaja also said that immediately after being sworn in, all the functions of the county government under the fourth schedule will be reverted.

But I want to affirm that from the day we are sworn in, all the functions of county governments under the fourth schedule, all the 14 functions, shall revert to the county government immediately.

Igathe also acknowledged Sakaja's win and conceded defeat through his social media.

Polycarp Igathe. PHOTO/TWITTER

"I accept the decision of the people of Nairobi and thank all our supporters," Igathe wrote.

"The Governor of Nairobi is His Excellency Johnson Sakaja. Congratulations!"

Nairobi was among the hotly contested counties and a battleground of the two major political factions in the elections.