Ruto's Hard-hitting Statement to Media Over Presidential Debate

Deputy President William Ruto has hit out at local media houses for bias in the coverage of presidential candidates in the country.

Speaking to the media ahead of his clearance to vie for the presidency, DP Ruto clarified why he intends to miss the presidential debate.

He faulted a section of media for favoring his opponents in the coverage of stories teeming the debate as "pre-rigged".

Ruto said he won't be a party to the presidential debate organized by media houses that have been favoring his opponents.

"If the presidential debate is being organised by a media house that has taken sides, by people who have skewed the playing field in favour of one side, what moral authority do they have to ask the rest of us who are not their candidates to attend a pre-arranged and pre-rigged debate."

He added: "If you have decided to choose a side, organise a presidential debate for that side. Don't expect us to come and sanitise a debate that you have already skewed with the coverage of your news".

On Thursday, the DP’s communication team announced that Deputy President William Ruto had been advised to bolt out for the president.

UDA Communications head Hussein Mohammed said this was due to media bias.

"We have noted with much concern the repeated and continued bias and propaganda in a section of Kenya’s mainstream media in abuse of statutory," he said.

"Under the current partisan media environment, we have advised our candidate against participating in the presidential debate."

Mohammed said Political news is a matter of public interest and its coverage therefore by journalists, media practitioners or media enterprises has to be done fairly, accurately and with all sides of the story being reported.

"This has been deliberately contravened, ignored and bravely abused by the sections of the media," he said.