Kenya‘s opposition leader candidate Raila Odinga on Monday night took part in a television presidential debate alone, after President Uhuru Kenyatta failed to show up.
Odinga fielded questions from moderators for 90 minutes in the second segment of the debate which was meant to have Odinga and Kenyatta go head to head.
Kenyatta’s Jubilee party had last week indicated that the Kenyan President would snub the debate following disagreements over the debate’s format.
At a few minutes before 8 PM, the scheduled time for the debate between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his political rival opposition leader Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Odinga arrived at the venue of the debate, ready for the duel.
Then the wait began and 30 minutes later Uhuru Kenyatta had not turned up. Odinga then walked in and fielded questions from the two moderators, the audience and online.
Odinga who is making his fourth attempt at the presidency said his government will fight corruption, create jobs and build low cost houses. He criticised Kenyatta’s administration for what he claimed is failure to end corruption in high places.
“If you find a situation where a president convenes a meeting at State House to talk about corruption and then admits publicly I’ve done this, I’ve done this and this, what do you want me to do? I’ve failed. Basically it shows failure, I say Mr. President, the buck stops with you. If you’ve failed then pack up and go home.”
I have addressed Kenyans not just the undecided, even those who had a wrong perception of myself, I hope that I have convinced them that we mean well for this country
It is not clear why President Kenyatta snubbed the debate, but his party’s secretariat last week indicated that the debate’s organisers had not adequately consulted with Kenyatta. Odinga sought to allay fears that there will be post-election chaos.
“I don’t see any problems happening; we have said that there will be no violence in Kenya so long as the elections are free and fair.”
Odinga regretted the no show by Kenyatta.
“ I’d really have loved to give him an opportunity to respond to what I was saying, some of the allegations I was making that is how debates are and I would have loved to hear what he has to say about me and my team, that would have been a wonder opportunity for this nation.”
He told the SABC he was sure he had won the confidence of the Kenyan voter. “I have addressed Kenyans not just the undecided, even those who had a wrong perception of myself, I hope that I have convinced them that we mean well for this country and they can have a change of mind.”
In the first segment of the debate only three out of the six minor candidates, appeared for the debate. They were not slated to debate either Kenyatta or Odinga.
“It’s important to debate issues for us the so called donkey group, we brought issues on the table and we really wanted to debate issues,” says the Presidential Candidate of Thirdway Alliance Ekuru Aukot.
Last week, only one vice presidential candidate turned for the debate after seven of his competitors stayed away. This is Kenya’s second presidential debate, the first one was held in 2013. There are eight presidential candidates.
– By Sarah Kimani
