Acting KBC Managing Director Samuel Maina has issued a terse statement after the Presidential Debate Secretariat made unexplained last minute changes to moderators of the deputy presidential debate.
In an earlier communication by the debate secretariat, the first debate featuring candidates who had polled less than 5 percent in the last three polls was to be moderated by KBC political reporter Jacob Kioria and TV47’s Linda Alela.
However, in a surprise statement to newsrooms on Tuesday, July 19, just hours before the debate, the secretariat announced that the first part pf the debate would be moderated by Zubeidah Koome of KTN News and Francis Gachuri of Citizen TV.
Responding to the unexplained changes, Mr. Maina said that It was a clear indication that the organisers had no confidence in any of KBC's presenters.
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According to Mr. Maina, no explanation was communicated to them with regard to the change of moderators.
"This new development of changing a moderator on the day of the debate is unfortunate. It is a clear indication that the organisers have no confidence in any of KBC's presenters. Any planned change should have been communicated properly, and valid reasons given to all interested parties since it was already public knowledge, through posters, that a KBC presenter would be part of the team. Finding out the change through different posters is not just embarrassing, but demeaning as well.
"KBC is not just good for behind the scenes roles, I believe we have very good presenters at KBC and if one of them did not meet the requirements, they could have been replaced with another from the same media house. It shouldn't appear like the debates moderator positions are a reserve of a few media houses every election year. We appreciate the fact that presenters have different strengths and capacities, and this is why they are paired, to complement each other. Joint production means equal opportunity and equal representation, in all areas. As colleagues, we can do better in these joint productions as one family. We should strive for better," Mr. Maina stated.
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