News and analysis

National Super Alliance (Nasa) presidential running mate Kalonzo Musyoka now says they tricked Jubilee and President Kenyatta into missing the Presidential Debate.

President Uhuru Kenyatta's snub of the presidential debate on Monday night elicited mixed reactions.

Kenyan opposition presidential candidate Raila Odinga fielded questions alone on stage after his rival, President Uhuru Kenyatta, failed to show up for a debate between the two.

Kenya’s main opposition presidential candidate Raila Odinga has stressed on his allegations of conspiracy between the ruling party and security agencies to rig the upcoming elections.

Yesterday, July 24, 2017, was presidential debate day, one which President Uhuru Kenyatta gave a wide berth while his proponent, National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga, had a whole hour to himself.

Soon after it was clear that President Uhuru Kenyatta had not and was not going to show up at the venue for the highly-publicized debate, Kenyans took to social media to attack him.

President Uhuru Kenyatta Monday snubbed the presidential debate hosted at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

The office of Kenyatta, who is running for a second and final five-year term in office, gave no explanation for his absence.

“I don’t regret any word that I uttered on that day…I meant every word that I uttered,” Odinga said during the second tier of the presidential debates, in which he was meant to face off with President Uhuru Kenyatta who skipped it.

While most Kenyans on social media vented their anger at the president's move, others said the head of state had reasons for the same.

The second tier of the presidential debate kicked off half an hour late Monday night after President Uhuru Kenyatta failed to show up, with his opponent Raila Odinga appearing solo.

He said at the presidential debate on Monday that the government has plans to deploy the military to interfere with the scheduled general elections.