2022 Presidential debate to be held on July 26

The 2017 Presidential debate at Catholic University. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The 2022 Presidential debate will be held on July 26 at the Catholic University for Eastern Africa (CUEA), main campus in Karen, Nairobi, the debates secretariat has announced.

That of deputy presidents will take place on July 19 at the same venue, from 5.00 pm to 10.00 pm, while debates for the Nairobi governorship bid will take place on July 11.

All debates will be broadcast and streamed by all media houses in Kenya.

KBC anchor Serfine Achieng Ouma. [File]

Nairobi gubernatorial debate

In a statement on Monday, July 4, the secretariat said the inclusion of the Nairobi governor debate was informed by an overwhelming interest from members of the public.

“This is in recognition of the central place held by devolution in our governance and the growing need to ensure greater accountability at the county level,” Clifford Machoka, the presidential debates secretariat head said.

The Nairobi governorship debate will have two tiers. The first part will involve candidates whose popularity in opinion polls is below five per cent. This will take place from 6.00-7.30 pm while the second tier, with candidates above five percent in polls, will run from 8.00-9.30 pm.

Debate moderators

The secretariat has put together a panel of editors comprising editors-in-chief and managing editors from key media houses in Kenya to lead content generation.

The Secretariat has also named moderators for the Nairobi Gubernatorial debate.

Tier one and two debates will be moderated by two anchors/journalists and the panel discussions for both debates will be moderation by one anchor/journalist. 

Tier one moderators are Serfine Achieng Ouma, a news anchor, reporter, and program presenter at KBC with over nine years experience. The second moderator is Ayub Abdikadir, a news anchor and Editor at K24 with more than five years’ experience in media.

Tier two moderators are Zubeida Koome, a senior Swahili news anchor and programmes editor at KTN News, and Mark Masai, a journalist at NTV.

KTN News anchor Zubeida Koome. [File, Standard]

Masai has 15 years' experience in media and has been a host of Press Pass, a TV weekly show that interrogated and critiqued the big stories that are covered by local media.

Koome is a broadcast journalist with 15 years’ experience and knowledge in communication, research, script writing, reporting, and translation. She is also the current Vice President of Kenya Editors Guild-KEG.

She has interviewed several Heads of State, covered four general elections in Kenya, the promulgation of the 2010 constitution, and the burials of two past presidents of Kenya.

Citizen TV anchor Waihiga Mwaura will be the panel moderator. [File]

“Under the rules of the presidential debates, the moderators will select the questions to be asked, and shall not share the same with the candidates. They will not meet with any of the campaign teams or candidates,” the secretariat said.

The debate is organised by the Media Council of Kenya (MCK), Media Owners Association (MOA), the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), and other stakeholders, including the church.