Kenya

To dispense with the more immediate concerns, maybe the Debates Media Limited committee, which is organising these sessions, should tell us how they hope to accommodate all 18 aspirants on one podium and give each one enough time to expound on their agendas.

On Tuesday, May the 9th the Presidential Debate Steering Committee in conjunction with top journalists and executives drawn from nearly all media houses in the country announced the schedule for the presidential debate.

The first debate for presidential candidates will be held on July 10. A debate for running mates will follow on July 17 while the third and final presidential debate will be held on July 24.

Media houses in Kenya will host three presidential debates one month to the August General Election.

They are aimed at helping voters make informed choices, promoting national cohesion and steering campaigns towards the quality of leadership rather than personalities.

In total there are 18 candidates who have expressed interest in running for president during the August 8 General Elections.

Kenya’s presidential candidates argued over the economy, corruption and foreign policy at the second and final presidential debate Monday in Nairobi. The candidates came out aggressively with just a week to go before the vote.

Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta will participate in tonight’s presidential debate after all, Uhuru has arrived at the Brookhouse international school, the venue for the debate, allaying fears that he would not participate in the debate.

Ninety three percent of registered voters feel presidential debates are beneficial to Kenyans, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos Synovate.

The first presidential debate involved eight candidates who promised to accept the March 4th poll results in order to avoid a repeat of the 2008 post-election violence.