LIVE BLOG: The 2022 Presidential Debate

UDA presidential candidate William Ruto arrives at the Catholic University ahead of the presidential debate [The Standard]

The second tier of the Presidential debate was held at the Catholic University of Kenya (CUEA) from 8pm.

UDA Presidential candidate William Ruto attended the debate while his competitor, Azimio la Umoja's Raila Odinga, affirmed that he would not attend the debate during a campaign in Meru County earlier on Tuesday, July 26.

The first tier debate took place between 5:30pm and 7.00pm. Agano Party's David Mwaure debated alone after George Wajackoya of Roots Party failed to make an appearance.

Wajackoya had given a condition that he would only show up if all four candidates would be debating at the same time.

The Standard aims to give you a timely occurence of the debate.

9:35pm: Ruto's closing statement: Our competitors have run away from this debate in total contempt to the people of Kenya. They have little regard for the people of Kenya, they think the deep state will make the decision. I want to tell the people of Kenya that they are the ones to make the decision on August 9th...Kenya Kwanza's govt will reduce cost of living, improve health care, ensure youth employment, water and access of education for our children.

9:32pm: Ruto on winning or losing elections; I need to be on record that I will accept the outcome of this election. I know the people of Kenya will make a choice. If it is me, I will prepare to govern the country on day one, if it is not me, I will accept that my competitor has won. If I have any issue, I will go to court and accept the outcome of the court.

9:27pm: Ruto on integrity: Allegations are made, any piece of land I have is legally owned...I think I am probably the politician in Kenya who has been audited left right on any matter.

9:23pm: Ruto on why his competitor, Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga did not show up for debate; My competitor could not come here because he is not the real candidate. He is a project. These are just scapegoats, he is dodging difficult questions.

9:07pm: Ruto on influence in Jubilee government: Of course I have influence nationally on pushing agenda. I didn't push the judiciary fund as Deputy President but as a leader. I have pushed back on the issue of the BBI and I deployed a lot of influence and by God's grace we managed to stall it. 

8:58pm: Arror and Kimwarer dams: The contractor was denied the land to set up the dam...I don't believe money was lost in Kimwarer and Arror and even if it was, people should be taken to court... Kenyans will one day be marveled at what happened in this scandal.

8:55pm: National security: DP Ruto claims withdrawal of police reserve in Kerio Valley was meant to punish his supporters. 

8:45pm: National security: There was a false narrative that was rolled out that all the police reserves in Elgeyo Marawet, Baringo, West Pokot were a millitia that William Ruto [Referring to himself] would use at some point and all the national police reserves were withdrawn. A very reckless act. With the withdrawal of the reserves, the situation went south.

8:40pm: Ruto on National Debt: There are too many projects that are not budgeted for. For example, the Uhuru Gardens Museum, you don’t see it anywhere in government budgets but it’s being built. Kenya Kwanza will put breaks on borrowing and projects that are not budgeted for… There is room for us to raise additional revenue to manage our debt without going to renegotiate. 

8:20pm: Ruto on Galana Kulalu; I agree issues were raised around the contract, that is why the contract was shelved. When those issues were identified, it led to the contract being stopped so that those issues could be addressed. But by the time it was getting there, already the trials had been done, the pivots had been done, the first crop had been harvested.

8:17pm: Ruto: I tried to support my boss [President Uhuru Kenyatta] but he said he wanted to do things differently. He wanted to assemble a different kind of people to help him deliver on what he wanted to be the legacy of the forth presidency. Unfortunately, the big four suffered a big blow.

8:15pm: Ruto; Food security on Big four agenda was sabotaged. We never got to implement that plan, immediately we changed course and the whole big four plan was shelved, we went on a tangent because of the handshake equation, BBI and the rest is history. We did not get the time to do what we had promised the people of Kenya to do.

8:07pm: Ruto on cost of living; To increase agriculture productivity you need to make sure that farmers have access to input, they have the capital and access to markets that are not rigged. Unfortunately, we did not do that. As Kenya Kwaanza, we have put in place Ksh30 billion revolving fund to make sure farmers have access to inputs, we have added Ksh12 billion expenditure on agriculture extention.

8:05pm: Opening statement; I believe I am the candidate with the plan to be able to get Kenyans to the next level. 

7:30 to 8pm: The Deputy President is currently in a holding room being briefed on rules of the debate.

7:26pm: UDA presidential candidate William Ruto is received by Gachagua after arriving CUEA. He is in the company of his wife, children and relatives as well as his political allies. Ruto says he will focus on issues affecting Kenyans during the debate including the economy, jobs for the youth, healthcare, cost of living, agriculture, and education.

6:50pm: UDA running mate Rigathi Gachagua arrives at CUEA in Karen, expected to receive William Ruto.