LIVE: 2022 Presidential Debate

Roots Party presidential candidate Professor George Wajackoyah arrives at the Catholic University of East Africa for the 2022 Presidential Debate. Refuses to participate unless his conditions are met.

Agano Party presidential candidate David Mwaure Waihiga arrives for the 2022 Presidential Debate, eager to participate and promote his bid.

David Mwaure ascends to the podium as the sole candidate on the first of 2 Presidential Debates for the evening.

Why does a man of the cloth want to be president?

Mwaure: Leadership comes from God... and I am more than a clergyman, I am also a lawyer, the first lawyer to go for the presidency and the Constitution allows me to be a candidate. We need fresh, clean leadership to change the course of Kenya as a nation. The cloth reflects who I am, the inner me.
Smaller nations than us - like Singapore - are doing better than us and I believe Kenya can do as good as them.

Leadership & Integrity

Mwaure: I have not been elected or appointed to a public service position but I have successfully led the Agano Party for years. In high school, I was also in leadership positions. I have also sat on boards and led the decision-making process but this could be my Obama or Mandela moment.
If the experience needed is what we have seen, corruption and not being accountable, then I'm happy I've never held those positions.

What would you say about your colleague presidential candidates?

Mwaure: They have all been in government before and have done nothing. One has been deputy president and is still deputy president and the things he is saying he will do he cannot do. The other was a co-president in the Grand Coalition government, he had a chance to do something. And the last, has been in the intelligentsia and I still believe he is serving there.

Deputy President William Ruto and Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate arrives for the 2022 Presidential Debate accompanied by mama mboga and boda boda rider who endorsed his candidature as proposer and seconder at Kasarani Stadium.

Organizers confirm having received written notice that Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party presidential candidate Raila Odinga would not participate in the debate.

Why should Kenyans believe you today? (On VAT imposed on petroleum products)

Ruto: Why wouldn't they? We live in a dynamic country, it's only a fool who does not change his mind. If you are in a situation where the price of fuel has risen to Sh116 then it is time to rethink...

What's wrong with renegotiating with the IMF? Looking at the situation we are in, the cost of living, and how many Kenyans are sinking below the poverty line, it takes a courageous government to sit and renegotiate with our development partners.

On National Debt

Ruto: We must think of how to slow down on borrowing locally and see how we can externalize borrowing. And we don't have to borrow, we can look at the stock exchange... There's a lot of money if we use the different instruments - revenue, and the stock exchange - and minimize borrowing.

Why isn't there a public record of you advocating for debt transparency in the matter of SGR and money borrowed?

Ruto: There's only so much you can do as deputy president... I wouldn't have wanted to say anything that would threaten the operations of the government.

To the extent that my duty as DP is concerned, I have discharged my responsibility. I have given advice to my boss on many issues including that one. I have given the advice to the president that the Constitution calls for it but you know the back stops with the president.

Insecurity in Kerio Valley

Ruto: Insecurity is not only causing our children not to be in school, but it is also causing starvation.

I have deployed my personal resources to deal with that situation because I knew it was a political agenda. The withdrawal of the police reserve was unfortunate, especially because they did it to frustrate me.

Arror and Kimwarer Dam Projects

Ruto: These projects were not cooked in some dark corner, many other government projects were approved at the same time. How come only Arror and Kimwarer didn't go through?

The contractor has gone to court to demand payment, which should concern all of us. Why did the contractor not continue the project? because he was denied access to the land and that was done by the Kenyan government. We have to be honest with ourselves, how did the government lose Sh20 million?

Kenyans will one day marvel over what really happened in this scheme.

Which part of the Constitution has not been implemented with fidelity?

Ruto: The two-thirds gender rule, we owe it to the women... I have made a commitment to make sure it is realised, there are different proposals and I've assembled a team of Constitutional lawyers to see how we can have a framework in 90 days and implement it in 1 year. It is for the benefit of everyone.

Also, the Equalization Fund. There are some matters I also think were wrongfully left to the National Government.

The Judiciary Fund was operationalized this year after I complained about it.

How do you respond to Raila's reason for not attending this debate?

Ruto: Do you honestly believe that is why he is not here? He has no plan... he doesn't want to answer difficult questions. He could not come here because he is not the real candidate, he is a project. He is dodging the difficult questions.

How do you feel about the public perception of irregular acquisition of land?

Ruto: That's why I'm proposing to deal firmly and squarely with institutions in the fight against corruption. Any piece of land I own is properly acquired. I have paid value for every property I have. Everyone has been accused including my competitor, but does that make you guilty? No.
Maybe it's because of how bold I have been about my business acumen and that's why people feel like they want to come after me.