The presidential candidate of the Roots Party George Wajackoya threatened to Boycott the scheduled presidential debate over anticipated lack of equal opportunity to debate.

The debate is scheduled to be held at the Catholic University for Eastern Africa (CUEA) campus on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Wajackoya claims that the presidential debate organizers plan to split the candidates into two groups, thus denying him the opportunity to debate frontrunners Raila Odinga and William Ruto.

He claims that the organizers plan to have Ruto debate Raila while wajackoya will tackle Agano Party candidate Waihiga Mwaure.

Currently, Wajackoya stands at 4% in THE latest TIFA Opinion Poll while Mwaure has the support of 1% of voters. Azimio's Raila Odinga and Kenya Kwanza's William Ruto have 42% and 39% respectively in the highly contentitious poll.

"I have credible information from those who are arranging for the presidential debate to hold a so-called mini poll so that they can pair Raila with Ruto and me with Mwaure, thinking that we are the most stupid," Wajackoyah told KTN.

Wajackoya accused the organizers of degrading him and Mwaure.


"Does it mean that we are the last remnants of society?" He asked. "I want us to have a head on debate. What is wrong with all of us having the same podium."


Wajackoya had earlier threatened to boycott the debate if Raila Odinga would not attend.

Kenya Kwanza's candidate had also implied he would not attend because of alleged unfair coverage by the media houses organizing the debate.

Moses Kuria implored Azimio's flagbearer Raila Odinga to skip the presidential debate for the sake of his mental health.

Kuria cited Raila's advanced age and Martha Karua's poor performance at the running mates debate despite facing a perceived weaker opponent than Raila would.

"Dear Baba, call it off," Moses said. "At 78 you don't deserve this embarrassment. If Martha was not Rigathi's match, William Ruto will be your waterloo. There comes a time when your mental health is more important than Azimio."

Kuria said the 90 minutes had transformed Martha Karua from the "Iron Lady" to the "Nylon Lady."

The Gatundu member of parliament had earlier claimed that Kenya Kwanza would not participate in debates because of perceived or real media bias against the party.

The event will take place at Catholic University for Eastern Africa (CUEA) main campus on July 2022.

The Kenya's presidential debate is organized by the Media Council of Kenya, the Media Owners Association, and the Kenya Editors’ Guild.

The debate will stream across 450 media outlets and online platforms.

At least 40 million viewers are expected to follow the event.

Kenya Kwanza had threatened to boycott the debate citing media bias.

Similarly, Root's party candidate George Wajackoya had also threatened to pull out if he wasn't part of the main debate or if Raila and Ruto failed to attend.

Azimio's presidential candidate Raila Odinga will not participate in the presidential debate, according to the party's spokeman Makau Mutua.

The spokeman said that Odinga would instead attend a social hall meeting at Jericho social hall.

According to Mutua, presidential debate between candidates was a "bad idea." he added that his principal had a good track record and would not debate would not reward someone without regard for ethics with a debate.

“It would be a colossal mistake to reward such a person with a national debate. We will not help his failing campaign. He can explain himself and his poor record to voters without our help,” Mutua said.

Responding to Raila's planned boycott, Ruto accused him of lacking an agenda for the debate.

"Raila has feared going for the debate because they have no plan and agenda. They have no policies to sell, that's why they're wondering about what they will come to do in the debate. "

Raila had earlier confirmed he would attend the presidential debate despite his rival threatening to Boycott over media bias.

The change in decision came after the poor performance recorded by Azimio's Nairobi gubernatorial candidate Polycarp Igathe and Odinga's running mate Martha Karua.

Ealier, Kiambu's gubernatorial candidate aligned to UDA had requested Odinga to skip the presidential debate after poor performance by his party's candidate for the sake of his mental health.

The presidential debate organizers promised that the event would process as planned despite the anticipated Odinga's absence.

Elsewhere, Roots Party Candidate George Wajackoya had threatened to skip the presidential debate if he would not participate in the main even or if any of the two top candidates pulled out.

You lose 100% when you fail to take the chance, a wise man once said. But don't take a wise man's word for it.

UDA's presidential candidate William Ruto sold his manifesto to over 40 million Kenyans. He took the opportunity to explain various issues including corruption and the famous Arror and Kimwerer dams.

Meanwhile, his Kenya Kwanza One's challenger was absent during the debate. What Kenyans make of the last night's Kenya presidential debate depends on their political affiliation.

UDA's supporters will give Ruto 200% for attending the debate and articulately explaining various issues including the popular Arror and Kimwerer dams scandal.

Similarly, Raila's supporters will justify his decision to boycott the debate and claim he won by not playing the game and debating with the "liar."

"As an independent observer in the second debate and a Wajackoya supporter, Raila had no justification to miss the debate. He had every opportunity to set the record straight and expose the liar," a Kenya said.

"I was also disappointed by Wajackoya's boycott of the debate. Like Raila, he had the opportunity to sell his manifesto but decide to waste the opportunity."

According to him, boycotting the debate was a sign of weakness and a quitter.

"Great leaders overcame far worse than Wajackoya's and Raila faced. Winston Churchill dared to face the Nazi machinery and Abraham Lincoln faced the British well-equipped army with nothing but untrained volunteers with muskets. Great leaders must show resilience even when the situation doesn't favor them."

He added that Raila had everything to loose given the perceived or real positive bias by the media. Similarly, Wajackoya depends on selling his manifesto to Kenyans who like his revolutionary ideas.

"It was foolhardy for both candidates not to attend. Bad publicity is better than none."

Meanwhile, Kenyans on Twitter took to the social media to discuss the debate.

Ruto addressed the failure of the big 4 agenda, Arror and Kimwerer dams

UDA's presidential candidate William Ruto had been prepping Kenya's on the Arror and Kimwerer dams prior to the debate. Before appearing before approximately 40 million Kenyans, he promised to resume the Arror and Kimwerer dams project once elected.

During the debate, he explained how he was misquoted when he suggested that a smaller amount of money was lost in the project than reported. He reiterated his plans to resume the project once elected.

"Kenyans will be shocked by the revelations on the issue of the two dams. The matter has been in court for 4 years and has not moved an inch - it's been dancing. Mention after mention in regards to the Arror and Kimwarer dam cases."

Additionally, he claimed that conflict over natural resources such as water was the reason for the insecurity affecting some parts of the rift Valley province.

Ruto also explained the collapse of the "Big 4 Agenda" after the incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta "invited other people" to help him purse the agenda.