President Kenyatta campaigned in Murang’a and Nyeri on Tuesday/PSCU
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 25 – President Uhuru Kenyatta now says he doesn’t regret not taking part in Monday’s presidential debate though he admits he watched his opponent Raila Odinga.
Speaking in Nyeri County which he is currently traversing in a vote hunting mission, he says real issues were not addressed in the debate specifically by his main rival Raila Odinga.
“After watching, I told God thank you for advising me not to attend,” President Kenyatta said.
For example, he says, Odinga did not explain the role he played in the war against graft during the coalition government despite being a Prime Minister.
“If my colleague was a person who loves working (for Kenyans) instead of confrontations, he would have joined President Kibaki in developing the country. Yesterday, he admitted that corruption was there during coalition Government but his excuse is that he was just a coordinator, claiming he could not have done anything,” he pointed out.
“What kind of a person says that? I watched and said thank you to God for advising me not to go.”
He pointed out that “President Kibaki’s government would have implemented many projects but it was derailed by the current opposition leader.”
The President also accused the media of being openly biased against him.
“You see, our colleagues in the media think they can bully some of us but even in 2013 they did not support us… but it is the 45 million people who will decide,” he said.
The organisers had hoped the President would attend and even waited for him for about 30 minutes but he was a no show.
“We want to continue serving the country and you have all seen that ours has been a peaceful government committed to working for the people,” he asserted.
On Tuesday, the President commenced an intense 12-day tour of Kenya, “to meet fellow citizens from all walks of life, in all regions of the country.”
His last campaign event according to State House will be in the capital next month on August 6, some 48 hours before the August 8 elections.
“This will be the second round of an all counties campaign where the President will take his message to Kenyans. Only this Sunday he completed a 14-counties blitz covered in seven days in which he put his call for unity and peace at the heart of his campaign agenda,” reads a statement by State House Spokesman Manaoh Esipisu.
These meet-the-people visits will see the President traverse 30 counties, making stops at more than 200 campaign stops.
Esipisu said, “The President is going directly to the people to demonstrate what the August election is about – himself as someone who is fighting to deliver benefits, success, and prosperity to the people versus an opposition challenger who is only after power for himself.”
“During the campaign tours, the President will also sit down with Kenyans at business premises, farms, markets and other places where he will engage with them directly, accounting for his last four-and-a-half years in office as he also discusses how he plans to transform the country and the lives of Kenyans.”
The President, who has also already given interviews to 14 radio stations, Esipisu said, is due to speak to at least 40 more, directly reaching Kenyans on his Action Plan for Kenya’s future. He will also engage with Kenya’s youth through platforms they are familiar with.
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