Debate dodgers betrayed Kenyans

The venue of the presidential debates at Catholic University of Eastern Africa. Photo: Boniface Okendo, Standard

Televised pre-election debates are a new concept in Africa. Kenya held its first ever debate for the 2013 presidential hopefuls, but it was just that; a show that provided temporary entertainment. It did not add value to the quality of the campaigns; neither did it occasion any discernible shift in biases.

The January 2017 debate between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, held at Hofstra University in New York, was a test for the debaters’ temperament, grasp and preparedness in articulating national issues. Against Mrs Clinton, Trump appeared unpolished, ill-tempered and quite frankly, outrageous. On matters of policy, their differences were stark. And at the end of the day, Trump blamed the media for being biased against him.