Moderators For Deputy Presidential Debates Announced

The first debate will run from 6.00 pm and end at 7.30 pm while the second debate will go on air at 8.00 pm and end at 9.30 pm

Marvin Chege Marvin Chege
Jul 13, 2022 - 15:25 Updated: Jul 13, 2022 - 15:26
0
Moderators For Deputy Presidential Debates Announced
KTN News' Sophia Wanuna and Citizen TV's Trevor Ombija. /VIRALTEAKE Trevor Ombija

Citizen TV prime-time anchor Trevor Ombija and his KTN News counterpart Sophia Wanuna are among the moderators announced for the 2022 deputy presidential debates set for Tuesday, July 19.

In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, July 13, the Monday Report show host will moderate panel discussions for the debates, termed so because they will be divided into two tiers, just like the Nairobi gubernatorial debates on Monday, July 11.

The first tier will feature candidates with a popularity of below 5 per cent in three recent opinion polls and will be moderated by Linda Alela of TV47 and John Jacob Kioria of the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).

A look inside the auditorium of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) main campus in Karen, Nairobi ahead of the gubernatorial debate on July 11, 2022. /PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

The second will feature candidates who have a popularity of above 5 per cent in three recent opinion polls. It is in this debate that the likes of Martha Karua of Azimio la Umoja and Rigathi Gachagua of the Kenya Kwanza alliance will go head to head.

Wanuna will moderate this section alongside James Smart of NTV. Ombija will moderate panel discussions for both debates.

"The first debate will run from 6.00 pm and end at 7.30 pm while the second debate will go on air at 8.00 pm and end at 9.30 pm," read the debate secretariat's statement in part.

The moderators, the secretariat explained, were selected based on rigorous criteria that, among other things, endear the principles of impartiality, fairness and objectivity, a strong understanding of the Kenyan political landscape and the major issues of the election.

"Under the rules of the presidential debates, the moderators will select the questions to be asked and shall not share the same with the candidates. They will not meet with any of the campaign teams or candidates and the candidates," added the statement. 

The deputy presidential debate will take place at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) main campus in Karen, Nairobi, the same venue the Nairobi gubernatorial debate was held and the same venue that will host the Presidential debate.

Kenyans will be hoping for better action in this debate following the entertaining showdown between Senator Johnson Sakaja and Polycarp Igathe, both contesting the Nairobi county seat.

The two threw every verbal ammunition in their arsenal at each other, the main focus being the controversy surrounding Sakaja's degree and Igathe's exit as the Deputy Governor of the county.

"Within the party, there were two other people, the ones who were running against me within the party also did not have degrees, I beat them," Igathe said. 

"If you stuck in office Governor Sonko would not have been impeached. If you stuck in office, maybe you would be the incumbent governor. 

"This city needs resilience, you need to be tough. You cannot say you betrayed, how many votes did you say you guys got?" Sakaja posed. 

The debate also featured another trending topic, KTN News' Zubeida Koome's verbal exchange with Sakaja which began after Zubeida mimicked Igathe questioning the integrity of the name 'Sakaja', as part of ascertaining whether it was his real name, an action which annoyed him.