This year’s presidential debate will be held next month even as the steering committee dispels claims of unfair political media coverage.
The Presidential Debate 2022 secretariat said Deputy President and Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto is among candidates who have expressed interest to attend the debate.
Ruto recently threatened to pull out of the debate citing biased media coverage. But speaking during the signing of a partnership with Usawa Agenda, the secretariat’s chairperson Stephen Gitagama denied claims of bias.
“The debate will not be an issue of an individual media house. It’s a partnership of the Media Owners Association, Kenya Editors Guild and the Media Council of Kenya. The debate cannot dictate what airs on a particular organisation and they are only offering a platform,” said Gitagama.
Gitagama, who doubles as the chairperson of the Media Owners Association, disclosed that they had received official communication from Ruto's team that the DP will turn up for the debate.
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Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno said the secretariat wrote to the DP in April to share their expectations during the debate.
“We have also reached out to political parties and individual candidates who should be participating in the debate to share their expectations,” said Otieno.
The secretariat has put together a panel of editors comprising editors-in-chief and managing editors from key media houses in Kenya to lead in content generation.
Usawa Agenda Executive Director Emmanuel Manyasa said their interest in the debate is to have candidates explain their intentions to protect the rights of children in ensuring access to quality education.
