State House has come out to issue another explanation on why President Uhuru Kenyatta refused to attend the 2017 Presidential debate.
In a statement, Senior Messaging Director Eric Ng’eno accused the National Super Alliance (NASA) of coordinating with ‘cartel media’ who only want to gain profit from Kenyans.
"Jubilee will not participate in events run under the aegis of cartels. We know NASA is largely cartel-friendly," Ng’eno stated.
Ng’eno stated that the organisers of the event, Debate Media Limited (DML), had agreed to extract revenue from advertising during debates and share it among owners.
"The presidential debate was a matter of profit for owners of Debate Media. They agreed that they would claim rights to all presidential debates in Kenya," Ng'eno expressed.
He added, "Anyone hoping to host a debate will be given total TV blackout. Cartels in every sector have paralysed the economy, denying Kenyans the benefits of economic growth by flexing the power of capital."
The Messaging Director noted that presidential debates were a "cash crop to line up the coffers of an oppressive cartel".
"This is why the cartel pleaded in court that they stood to earn Sh300 million from one debate. This is the only accountability question on the table," Ng'eno highlighted.
"Their bias will grow even more monstrous as we approach the election. We are not afraid."
Earlier this month, Jubilee Party's Secretary General Raphael Tuju announced that President Kenyatta had pulled out of the event due to lack of proper communication between the organisers and State House.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto are planning to organise a town hall meeting where they would directly engage with Kenyans before concluding their campaigns.
Read More: Uhuru's New Move After Pulling Out of Presidential Debate
The presidential debate is scheduled for Monday, July 24.
