Uasin Gishu County gubernatorial candidate Bundotich Buzeki shows off his manifesto as he addressed the press outside the Boma Inn Hotel, Eldoret after a failed debate, July 12, 2017. [Photo: hivisasa.com]
Uasin Gishu County gubernatorial candidate Bundotich Buzeki has expressed anger, after a planned gubernatorial debate, failed to kick off, Wednesday.
This is after his competitor, incumbent governor Jackson Mandago, failed to show up, over undisclosed reasons.
The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara) in partnership with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and Civil Society Urban Development Platform (CSUD) organised the debate to provide a platform for Uasin Gishu County residents to engage the candidates and understand their vision and plans for the County.
"This will enable the electorate make informed decision when voting. The candidates will also get to understand the expectations and priorities of Uasin Gishu residents as far as service delivery issues are concerned," read a statement from the Kara programmes manager, Nancy Kariuki, a day to the debate.
However, all was not well, when Buzeki, an Independent Candidate, arrived 30 minutes prior, waited passed the 6 pm scheduled debate starting time, at the Boma Inn Hotel, without seeing any indications of the debate going on.
He expressed dissatisfaction, after Mandago also failed to show up, saying he ought to have attended, to sale his manifesto to the residents, and see who between the two, was fit to take over, come August 8, during elections.
The debate will be held at the Boma Inn Hotel, from 6 pm to 9 pm and moderated by Bonney Tunya.
"This was a one of a kind opportunity for the people of Uasin Gishu to be able to scrutinise the manifesto of the two aspiring governors, myself and my competitor. The debate was organised by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, which I am also a member. I came here 30 minutes before 6 O'clock, I have waited, there's no communication," lamented Buzeki.
He also lamented that there was direct communication, over which local television station was to stream the debate.
"Eventually, a moderator who was supposed to moderate the debate (Bonny Tunya), told me he has information that the person who I was to hold the debate with was running late, and he had not even boarded a flight in Nairobi. This was very serious business for the people of Uasin Gishu," he said, during a press briefing outside the Boma Inn Hotel, Eldoret.
"It is a pity. It is very disappointing for the many people who were glued on their TVs all over Kenya to watch us. We have been reduced into looking like idlers outside Boma Inn Hotel because when we wanted to engage on what to do next, some guys started becoming rowdy," Buzeki added.
Click here to watch as Buzeki laments.