Ruto: Media Probably Sent Raila Wrong Invite To Presidential Debate

We will keep you updated throughout the course of the debate.

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Jul 26, 2022 - 13:58 Updated: Sep 2, 2023 - 22:01
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Ruto: Media Probably Sent Raila Wrong Invite To Presidential Debate
Presidential candidates William Ruto, Raila Odinga ,George Wajackoyah and David Mwaure. /VIRALTEAKE

The 2022 Presidential Debate kicked off on Tuesday, July 26 at the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA) main campus in Karen, Nairobi.

The debate is expected to feature Deputy President William Ruto of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) as well as David Mwaure of the Agano Party.

Azimio la Umoja coalition presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, has already confirmed that he will not attend the debate as he is in Meru County drumming up support in an Azimio rally.

Follow the debate live:

Roots Party Presidential candidate George Wajackoyah made a shock appearance at the CUEA campus, just hours after he announced that he will not attend the debate.

Viral Tea will keep you updated throughout the course of the debate. Keep refreshing this page for live updates and quotes.

9.35 pm: DP Ruto, in his post-debate analysis, accused Azimio opponent Raila Odinga of absconding the debate to dodge serious questions affecting the country. He also lamented that the real issues of the Kenya Kwanza manifesto were not covered.

"We didn't quite get down to the real manifesto issues, I would have hoped that my competitor would have been here so that Kenyans can have the benefit of looking at both sides. Unfortunately and it is understandable, there is only one plan for this election, the Kenya Kwanza election. The other side has sketches," he said.

He added that the coalition was sponsored by the current administration and believed that they did not want to offend them, thus choosing to stay clear of the debate.

"He's not here because he doesn't have a coherent plan. He cannot support a coherent discussion, he cannot sustain a debate on issues because even in the public space, the only discussion is the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.

"There is no conversation on the other side because there is none, they don't have a plan. The other issue is my competitor is running away literally from any discussion on matters corruption, conflict of interest, state capture because they sponsor him. Everybody knows he is a project, in fact, nobody knows who the real candidate is. Maybe when you people sent the invitations, you didn't specify, I think there must have been a problem as to whom you had invited to come to this debate," he said.

9.27 pm: DP Ruto: I have tremendous respect for all Kenyans and all Kenyan leaders. I have not in any way undermined the public standing of any leader or any Kenyan. I have not called anybody washenzi (uncivilized), I have not called anybody takataka (trash)
9.25 pm: Your opponent (Raila) said he could not come to this debate because he did not want to face a man who has no regard for ethics, public morals or shame. How do you respond to that?

DP Ruto: Do you sincerely believe that is the reason he is not here? He's not here because he does not want to answer difficult questions

9.15 pm: DP Ruto questioned which part of the Constitution of Kenya has not been implemented.

"I think we should sort out the two-thirds gender rule."

9.10 pm: Kenyans report a power outage in parts of the country during the presidential debate. They turn to YouTube to follow the proceedings, with Citizen TV's channel stream watched by over 200,000 people 

8.52 pm: DP Ruto: I was never a president This is the first time I will become one and the buck will stop with me. I can't share our cabinet discussions. I have taken very firm positions in the cabinet

8.45 pm: Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has been blocked from accessing the presidential debate venue at the CUEA campus.

This is after Azimio Secretary General Junet Mohamed had hinted at sending Babu to the debate to represent Raila Odinga, who skipped the event officially. The convoy which arrived at the premises was blocked by security manning the gate.

8.43 pm: DP Ruto reveals that the renovated Uhuru Gardens museum was not part of the government project

"I still believe that it is reckless for anybody to say we cannot pay our debts. I believe we have what it takes to pay our debts. What we cannot entertain as a country is that we are in a position we can't service our debt and we need to renegotiate.

"What I would do, we will first slowdown on borrowing, slow unbudgeted projects which is the biggest source of our problems, we need to raise our revenues and we have areas we can raise our revenue. We collect 52 per cent of all collectable VAT, we can raise 95% which will give us an extra Ksh450 billion. there is room to raise additional revenue. Our debt today is a challenge and we need to deal with it. We are living beyond our means," he explained

8.35 pm: DP William Ruto is challenged on why he did not build a dam for the Galana-Kulalu Project.

"The Galana Kulalu was conceived and the pilot on the first 10,000 tonnes programme took place. The first harvest came into being. The recommendation from the trial was that we needed to build a dam because research showed that the soil could support the production of maize and other cereals. Unfortunately, it did not move forward because we did not get the dam sorted," he responded.

8.27 pm: DP Ruto: The biggest contributor to the high cost of living is food, dealing with the cost of funds significantly deals with the challenge of the high cost of living

8.24 pm: DP Ruto: I tried to push the Big Four Agenda to a point my boss told me he wanted to do things differently. He requested that he wanted to assemble a different group of what he wanted to be his legacy. Unfortunately, the Big Four suffered a big blow because the whole of the programme did not take place.

7.57 pm: DP Ruto explains why his opponent, Azimio la Umoja coalition presidential candidate, Raila Odinga, skipped the presidential debate.

"He (Raila Odinga) doesn’t have clarity on what he wants to do in Kenya, he’s run away because he can’t answer some of the questions that are going to be asked here," he said.

7.30 pm: Deputy President William Ruto arrives at the CUEA campus for the presidential debate.

6.50 pm: It is important that state and religion be separated. In the Waihiga Mwaure government, religious leaders will play a pivotal role. They will even sit in the cabinet.

David Mwaure: Money that is supposed to develop this country is hanging out there in nations that are willing to bring it only if there is goodwill. I am bringing goodwill. Our brothers who went ahead of us didn't have two heads and two brains.

I’ve had opportunities to steal because I was appointed at top-level positions but I chose not to be corrupt, it’s a lifestyle

5.30 pm: David Mwaure arrives at the podium to give his presentation.

5.04 pm: George Wajackoyah storms out of the presidential debates venue moments after arrival in the company of his lawyer Danstan Omari. He argued that it would be unfair to segregate candidates based on their popularity ranking in the latest opinion polls while the elections will be held at once.

4.18 pm: George Wajackoyah makes a shock appearance at the CUEA campus for the presidential debate and says he will not get on the podium unless he was put alongside the rest of the presidential candidates.

"I am not attending the debate unless we are four," he affirmed.

At the entrance, he also narrowly came to blows with a security guard who had stopped part of his entourage from accessing the facility.

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