At least four presidential candidates for the August 9, General Election has been scheduled to face off at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) in today’s presidential debate.
According to the presidential Debate Secretariat, the debate which will start at 5 pm will be split into two groups.
The head of the presidential debate secretariat Clifford Machoka said in a statement that the first debate will feature candidates who have polled less than 5 percent in three of the recently conducted opinion polls.
The second debate will involve candidates who have polled above 5 percent in three recent opinion polls.
However, in a statement to the newsroom and event organizers on Tuesday, July 26, Roots party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah stated that he will not attend the 2022 presidential debate.
Roots Party spokesperson Wilson Muirani alias Jeymo Ule Msee the outfit cannot subject its 2022 presidential flag bearer to the joke of an already predetermined debate.
“Roots party would like to state that our presidential candidate George Wajackoyah will not attend the presidential debate because we will not subject the incoming president to the joke of an already predetermined debate,” he Raila Odinga a win in round one insisted that he will only debate with all presidential candidates.
“We would like to however state that our candidate is available to share the same podium with all the four presidential candidates as we define our agenda to all Kenyans,” he insisted.
His pulling out of the debate leaves UDA flag bearer William Ruto and the Agano Party presidential candidate David Mwaure as the only two candidates who will attend the debate.
On Sunday, July 24, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga‘s campaign secretariat Makau Mutua said Deputy President William Ruto has no regard for ethics, public morals, or shame hence Raila cannot share a podium with him.
“We feel that he does not have the moral standing to share a platform with our candidate (Raila Odinga),” Mutua said.
But organizers of the event have insisted that the debate will continue as planned despite threats from Raila and Wajackoyah to skip the event.