Only two of the six Kwale gubernatorial candidates attended the Governors’ Debate organized by the Media Council of Kenya and some 40 coast-based local media stations at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) Matuga.
The Kwale County debate, which was broadcasted live on all major radio stations and local TV stations, ran from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Tuesday night.
ODM candidate Professor Hamadi Boga and Kanu’s Daniel Dena were the only candidates who turned up for the event.
Kwale Deputy Governor Fatma Achani (UDA), Kwale Assembly Speaker Sammy Ruwa (Independent), Engineer Lung’anzi Chai (PAA) and Chirau Mwakwere (Wiper) did not show up for the debate.
According to the organizer of the event, Achani had said that she will not show up for the event because of other commitments.
“Achani had said she would not attend,” said one of the organisers.
Mwakwere, who is a former Matuga MP, had confirmed attendance, but he could not make it after he was caught up in the stand-off between former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Mombasa.
Mwakwere had accompanied Sonko for clearance for the Mombasa governor race, but IEBC officials in the region refused to clear him.
IEBC disqualified Sonko on three issues; failure to bring a certified original degree certificate, failure to bring stamped Ethics and Anti-Corruption clearance documents, and breach of Article 75 of the Constitution, which led to his impeachment as Nairobi governor in December 2020.
At the Kenya School of Government (KSG) Mombasa, Mwakwere was seen running up and down, making frantic calls to try and get Sonko cleared, but in vain.
After a nine-hour standoff on Tuesday, Sonko and his team left the venue at 10:48 pm.
“Mwakwere had confirmed attendance, but Sonko's issue saw him run late,” said another person privy to the debate’s plans.
According to Lung’anzi, he could not attend the event because he had organized a dinner with some of his political sponsors on the same date.
“He had hoped to attend the debate after dinner, but he backed off after it took so long, according to his handlers.
On his side, Ruwa had already expressed reservations, saying that he had received the invite to attend the debate on short notice.
During the debate, Dena and Boga presented their manifesto for the Kwale residents, each saying how they are going to tackle the problems in the region.
Dena, who is vying for the governor’s seat for the third time, said his manifesto has five pillars and the top in the list are education, water, and food security.
Boga, who is vying for the seat for the first time, has prioritized health, land problems, and reviving the region’s economy.
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