Plans on for 2022 presidential debates

Media stakeholders in Kenya have named a team to organise the 2022 presidential and running mate debates set to be held in July this year, with a call to contenders not to miss the events. 

Speaking during the launch of the 2022 Presidential Debates, Media Owners Association Chairman Stephen Gitagama said the team will also have the representation of senior editors.

“A team of senior editors from across media houses has been established to provide the stewardship of the content aspects, given how critical these debates are for public interest,” Mr Gitagama said. 

The exact dates and venues for the debates will, however, be announced at a later date.

Mr Gitagama also urged all the contenders to attend the debates.

“I think it is suicidal for any presidential candidate to miss out on these debates. Our teams will have a conversation with the political parties to ensure we have a seamless process and avoid any challenges,” he said.

Issue-based elections

The presidential debates secretariat will be headed by Clifford Machoka of Nation Media Group and assisted by Leo Mutisya from the Media Council of Kenya and Rosalia Omungo from the Kenya Editors Guild.

“For a country that has so many diverse political voices, debates have become the place for clarity of priorities, public policies, ideas and other development aspects that are key to the Kenyan people. Debates play a significant role in the way we choose our leaders,” Mr Gitagama, who is the Nation Media Group CEO, said. 

Election debates, he said, are held to promote issue-based elections as well as provide an opportunity for the candidates to debate, interact and engage.

The electorate also gets the opportunity to listen to the candidates and their priorities once they ascend into office.

During the launch, Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo said Kenya has had a long history in the achievement of its democratic space and the media seeks to reinforce the space with the presidential debates, as well as other engagements.

“As a country, we have walked a long journey from the days of one-party system to multiparty and finally to the second liberation … This is why we have moved to entrench the culture of presidential debates as a cornerstone of our democracy,” Mr Omwoyo said.

Failed to attend

Kenya Editors Guild President Churchill Otieno assured Kenyans that the debates will only be issue based and there will be no external interference by politicians.

“I want to assure all Kenyans that the media houses do not have any candidates in the upcoming August election 2022. Our media houses are in the hands of professionals who have served as senior editors for a long time,” Mr Otieno said.

This will be the third televised presidential debate in the country. The first was held in 2013. The debate involved eight contenders and it was moderated by senior journalists Julie Gichuru and Linus Kaikai.

In the 2017 presidential debate, President Uhuru Kenyatta failed to attend the event as did his running mate, Deputy President William Ruto.

However, his chief opponent Raila Odinga attended the debate, hogging the limelight in the one-and-a-half-hour debate hosted by Mr Kaikai and Mr Joe Ageyo.