Presidential debates to be held in July, aired

The presidential debate organising committee has or- ganised three debates to run between July 10 and 24.

The first debate, involving presidential candidates only, will be held on July 10.

A debate including running mates will be held on July 17.

The last presidential debate will be held on Monday July 24, exactly 14 days before the General Election.

All the debates will be held at Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Karen from 7.30pm and will be aired live on all participating TV and radio stations.

They will also be relayed on the digital platforms of the participating media houses.

The chairman of the organising commitee, Royal Media Services CEO Wachira Waruru, said the debate will take place in front of an audience of invited citi- zens.

“In conducting this debate, we are engaging in a cul- ture of civilised discourse between those who aspire to various positions of leadership and particularly the presidency,” Waruru said.

“We are looking forward to three vigorous debates that will not only showcase the growth of our democracy, but also help voters make informed choices.”

Waruru said the committee has organised a format for the debate in keeping with international best practice, and is finalising the rules and guidelines.

He said the rules will be shared with respective pres- idential campaign teams and will also be published on the presidential debate website and on the platforms of participating media houses.

The number of candidates to participate in the de- bates is among the issues being discussed by the committee.

“We are going to use objective guidelines in coming up with the framework of who and how many candidates will participate in the debate. We have an edito- rial committee that will look into issues regarding the questions and topics,” Waruru said.

He added, “As broadcasters, we see our role as that of providing a platform where competing political visions for the country can be articulated and vigorously debated.”

Waruru said the media will continue to keep Kenyans updated on political campaigns as well as all other developments related to the election as part of their contribution to a successful event.