MONDAY DEBATE: DP William Ruto to skip running mates debate

The presidential debate for the August election have been slotted for Monday 17,July and Monday 24, next week.

Debates Media Limited set the Monday date for those likely to clinch the deputy president's position when their candidate is elected o August 8.

Many are doubting the participation of the Deputy President Willliam Ruto in tomorrow's debate but emerging details are worth a thought they can bank as they wait for the seat to heat up further.

The deputy president earlier described his learning of the debate schedule as having received a news alert that running mates will debate each other, and he seemed not to be sure if this was true.

This is according to a tweet sent on his twitter handle asking if the debate arrangement was true.

The Presidential debate had been earlier scheduled for Monday last week but the top contenders cited non-involvement in the preparations and declined to show up even as the organizers faced court hurdles over what what one of the candidates termed as being discriminated against.

Presidential candidate Abduba Dida of the Alliance for Real Change party went to court seeking to have all the eight candidates involved but the matter was thrown out of the court as judges could not see any kind of discrimination as the complainant had argued.

The perceived less popular contenders were to face each other earlier on Monday before the top challenger takes on the incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta.

The local dailies on Sunday reported the high likelihood of the DP William Ruto skipping the event as a source in the high rankings at his office says Ruto will be busy campaigning at the coast.

There are reports that the deputy president will send either Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa or Senator Beatrice Elachi to represent him on Monday.

When president Uhuru Kenyatta ruled out debating NASA's Raila Odinga, Mr Odinga equally pulled out both of them pegging the decision on lack of proper involvement with the organizers.

It is however unclear whether Mr Odinga's running mate Mr Kalonzo Musyoka will turn up for the debate.

The debates steering committee holds that the debate is still on but was yet to receive any confirmation from its invitees despite having formally sent invitations to them.