A number of Presidential candidates in the upcoming General Election risk missing out on the Presidential debates after the organisers released new guidelines.
According to the organisers - the Debates Media, a consortium of several Kenyan media houses - the Presidential candidates who would be invited must command at least five percent popularity in opinion polls.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Debates Media stated that those aspirants who would not garner the five percent would be placed in a separate pool.
"Candidates with less that five percent popular support in opinion polls will take part in separate single pool debates to be conducted on the same dates," read the statement in part.
If the guidelines by the consortium are anything to go by, President Uhuru Kenyatta and National Super Alliance (NASA) flag bearer Raila Odinga are the only automatic participants of the event.
Other candidates cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), however, face an uphill task of garnering the threshold set by the debate organisers.
The other candidates in the race include; Cyrus Jirongo (United Democratic Party (UDP), Ekuru Aukot (Thirdway Alliance), Abduba Dida (Alliance for Real Change), and Independent candidates; Joseph Nyagah, Michael Wainaina and Japheth Kavinga.
The contenders are scheduled to battle it out in two debates on the 10th and 24th of July at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
Their running mates will also have a shot at the limelight on the 17th of July.
Read Also: Presidential Debates to be Held on July 10 and 24
