Why presidential debates are crucial to voters ahead of polls

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Absent of a change of heart by the two main contenders for the Presidency there will be no serious Presidential debate this year. For many of us exhausted by the tiring predictability of this year’s campaigns, this was promising to be one bright spark away from the usual sound bites, ululations and weird uncoordinated dances that have now become the staple of campaigns. A debate between the primary protagonists in an election, though it may hardly change voter choices, is important for several reasons. Most importantly, it emphasizes the principle that the people seeking elective posts are servants seeking employment from the voter. A debate is an avenue through which they subject themselves to suitability interviews. Though this servant-hood business may look like a myth, we must believe that over time the idea will sink home and define how leaders relate to the voter.

The nature of Kenya’s current campaigns is that people seeking elective office just talk down at the voter. They attend rallies and repeat tag and attack lines never subjected to interrogation, much unlike a debate. A debate, on the contrary, forces candidates to polish their agendas since they are aware that unrefined aspects of their manifestos will be placed under scrutiny.