Azimio Gives Conditions for Raila to Attend Tuesday’s Presidential Debate

Azimio Gives Conditions for Raila to Attend Tuesday’s Presidential Debate

Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition party has given conditions for its presidential candidate Raila Odinga to participate in the July 26th presidential debate.

The coalition’s secretary-general Junet Mohammed said Odinga, who is giving his fifth stab at the presidency, will only attend the forum if the moderators agree to focus on the main issues touching on the lives of Kenya, particularly integrity, corruption, and governance.

"Raila will only be on the debate if the panel will address Integrity, corruption, and governance. If the discussion is based on other issues, then we will send Babu Owino to debate William Ruto," said Junet.

He stressed that if the debate will be similar to the Deputy Presidential Debate pitting UDA presidential running mate Rigathi Gachagua and Martha Karua of the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition, then Odinga will not participate in it.

“If we are going to discuss issues which are not important like we saw with Rigathi Gachagua, we will send someone else to face off with Ruto…Our competitors want to debate about President Uhuru Kenyatta, let them go and look for him and not drag him into the debate,” he added.

On Thursday, Deputy President William Ruto presidential campaign secretariat confirmed that he will attend the much-anticipated debate but appealed to the moderators to ensure that the discussion is not trivialized.

“We have made a formal request to the Presidential Debates secretariat to make public the time allocation to issues affecting Kenyans, including governance and integrity, agriculture, healthcare, MSMEs, manufacturing, housing, digital economy, foreign policy, and so on,” secretariat’s Director of Communications Hussein Mohamed said

Ruto’s team had previously threatened not to participate in the 2022 presidential debates citing media bias. 

Tuesday’s debate will take place at the Catholic University for Eastern Africa in Nairobi from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

The televised debate will be conducted in two tiers, with the first featuring candidates with less than 5 percent approval ratings based on three recent opinion polls while the second-tier one will involve candidates who have polled above 5 percent in the same surveys.

This means Roots Party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah will face off with his Agano Party counterpart Waihiga Mwaure in the first-tier debate while Ruto will go head-to-head with Odinga in the second-tier debate.
 

Comments

Warid (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 10:48am

Junet - please send Hassan Joho to debate Ruto on any matter. Ruto will be behaving like a lone monkey on the debate and so he needs Joho to extinguish his childishness.

Ali (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 10:53am

I see no reason for Raila to debate ruto. Raila wants to discuss corruption but ruto cant discuss that topic because he is a thief.

Mūgīkūyū (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 01:11am

In reply to by Ali (not verified)

Thanks @Ali and good point. The one and perhaps only thing that should be debated is CORRUPTION and nothing else. We do not need other agendas because for the most part they are fake and conduits of more thievery like laptop promises and "food security agenda" which brought about Galana Kulalu white elephant.

Asista (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 01:10pm

In reply to by Mūgīkūyū (not verified)

Galana Kulalu??? When was it slated to produce ugali? And even though it was a good project, other years has seen food surpluses without it. We have to look into real issues that is causing food shortage in the country. Last few years the government forgot it’s mandate to sustain food security and instead diverted attention and resources ( some 20 billion) to the unconditional BBI and other corruption schemes.
Raila is chickening out with his advisors cautioning him that he cannot be able to debate WSR.
He has perfected to be the master of Boycotts. For all other elections that he has boycotted, this one is far from over. We are yet to witness another boycott after elections.

Mūgīkūyū (not verified)     Mon, 07/25/2022 @ 01:42am

In reply to by Asista (not verified)

You might want to educate yourself about Galana Kulalu before making assumptions. BTW its one of the many "projects" that funded your Arap Mashamba campaign before the nozzle got turned off.
And mind you debates are meant to enlighten voters about candidates. Kenyans do not have time for petty competitions. This is not school debate as your boss thinks; no wonder RAO has no time for this nonsense. He is busy forming his government because there wont be time to waste- as soon as his win is announced. They will have to hit the ground running. So many corrupt thieves to be prosecuted.

George (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 10:56am

The journalists at the DP debate were ill equipped. They did not have quality follow up questions. They should have told Rigathi to stop debating Uhuru and debate the issues. I found Rigathi silly and annoying.

Zac (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 10:59am

I think Babu would certainly terminate Ruto in a debate. Ruto must be constantly hit with integrity and corruption questions. The two topics must be discussed for kenya to move forward.

MakOnyangoi (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 12:04pm

I hope Azimio has prepared a litany of responses that are bound to annoy Ruto that way the undecided voters can see Ruto's true colors-a Kenyan version of Donald J. Trump.

Juju (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 12:12pm

Someone seeking for a job does not set conditions under which he or she must be interviewed to be hired for a job!

The peoples conman should just boycott the interview cause there is only water left in the skull between his ears!

The perennial loser narcissist!

Anonymous (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 01:08pm

Woo!! Woo!
Is anyone surprised here?
Who is Bob Owino? Is he running as the president and not Raila?
Kenyans want to hear from the horses mouth, to see if there is anything there or is it just Haaiya! Haaiya?
Kenyans want to hear from Raila so they can hold him accountable. If
Raila cannot handle a simple debate, how does he expect to handle a country of 56 million Kenyans.
We know what's up with Raila.
2017 he refused the repeat elections even though Raila is the one who had petitioned the court and his wish granted of canceling the elections.
TWo weeks to the elections:
This is what to expect from Raila
1.All time excuses as he senses defeat.
2. All polls are skewed to put Raila ahead of Ruto.
Polls will say Raila is the most pop
pular
3.Next it will be the incompetence of IEBC
4. Next it will be lack of trust with our institutions
5. Next it will be votes were stolen, he had won with the polls
6. He will not concede if he looses.

7. Raila will refuse a repeat election.
8. Raila will cry for NUSU Mkate!!
And finally stones will be thrown all over and railways ripped apart to get Raila NUSU Mkate.
And Raila's drama continues!!

Mūgīkūyū (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 01:29pm

Thank you Raila! Majority of Kenyans want to hear what the next government will do for us. We do not need to be distracted by some vitriol and circus we witnessed coming from Kipkorir Gachagua Arap Moi

Wamwororo (not verified)     Sat, 07/23/2022 @ 01:42pm

Big man syndrome! if he doesn't shine, he doesn't stay! Raila has lorded over everybody throughout Kenya's political terrain. He must give conditions in every move because he can only thrive in crisis. He must have the last word. He is a tyrant! Ask Mdvd, Kalonzo, Weta, Uhuru Gedion Moi, Atwoli, Ngilu, Aisha Jumwa- besides all important people in Nyanza including grown men like Orengo and Nyo'ngo believe Raila"s word is law- how pathetic? How can more than 6.1 million Jaluos be in a political slumber waiting for one semi-illiterate man to decide their political destiny for almost half a century- what happened? He tells IEBC what to do- irreducible minimum- wapende wasipende. HIs BBI is a command. No one can stop reggae! It's a tsunami. A storm in a teacup and similar crap that he uses to intimidate Kenyans. Raila is our political regrets- political noise that we must move away from in order to develop our nation. The 56 million people of our country want a rejuvenated tomorrow, a refreshed nation. Raila is our past, not our future.

Gwiji (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 01:24am

Raila can’t debate Ruto. Ruto so eloquent, Hamna raila na mpira. RAO should accept defeat and head to bondo.

Sam Igram (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 04:37am

President Kenyatta is leaving the office don't bitch about what he didn't accomplish, what are you going to do for us?. We don't want to Kenyatta didn't do or that don't beat a dead horse and don't tell us what you have done for us lately that's yesterday what are you going to do to bring us where we should be at one point we were standing with south Korea side by side now we are about 1500km or more behind them.

Maxiley (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 11:16am

Folks we are missing the focus, or the intended purpose of these political debates.People who are aligned to Raila's camp will vote for him,and same goes for Ruto. These are voters entrenched in their ideology ,or tribal affiliations...It is the undecided voters that these debates should be working hard to win.
Undoubtedly we are aping the West. Few years ago candidates debating was very foreign to us.Nothing wrong with that , people steal progressive ideas all the time.But we can go a step further by making these debates constitutional for presidential candidates. These would make them take the debates seriously,and not threaten to quit anytime they feel threatened.My two cents.

Kora kanini (not verified)     Sun, 07/24/2022 @ 01:56pm

In reply to by Maxiley (not verified)

Comrade Maxiley,
True to your words, but the divisions here were what our forefathers planted, starting with JOMO and Jaramogi. All MOI did was perfect the same game.
But isn't this how the British was able to colonize KENYA? Having KINGPINS and self made spokesmen?
Coming to the presidential debates, they should be able to sell their agendas and manifestos to the MASSES as a nation not to certain tribes.

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