Here are comments on last night’s presidential candidates’ debate made by Kenya Forum readers via Facebook and email. For the Forum’s review of the debate and more comments, scroll down to today’s earlier posting or go to this link.

Just two questions for Kenya Forum readers: did the presidential debate change your intention as to how you will vote in the next election? If so, how/why? Let us know.

Dida a comedian, his state house would run like the Churchill Live Show.

Raila Odinga – Under estimated the intensity of questions in session one, body language, one of irritation. Would have done much better if the debate was in Swahili to throw in a few vitendawili. Was he caught telling an untruth? On a fair score, his mannerism was… give me this job nitawaonyesha the way it should be done! My time is here. Still can’t figure out how his party hopping was supposed to have a common thread of fighting for social justice….but there is no pinning him down on tribalism……mimi nilisema Kibaki Tosha! Just one question I would have liked him to be asked, had he gone to court instead of asking for mass action would the outcome have been better for Kenya?

Wangari Martha – Knows her politics, went well revised and well armed, if only the debate can make numbers, hers would be quite a few more votes but I am afraid his performance won’t count for much, if anything, come March 4th. Just one question Martha, had the leading challenger agreed to go to court instead of calling for mass action

Peter Kenneth – He definitely has his fingers on the numbers, I am not sure about his proposed solutions but definitely has a future in another race. Is it entirely likely that the country’s huge borrowing would have ended up in funding development components of budget? With the voracious appetite of the then parliamentarians, I doubt the outcome would have been any different if President PK was presiding….

Muite – His agenda was one and only one….. Spin a different perspective on ICC, merits and all……He is angling at something…just not too sure what.

Mudavadi – No surprises here, neutral neither here nor there, non polarising figure….look Kenyans, to avoid all this acrimony being wrought on you by the ‘Two Horse Race’ …give me this seat and you won’t even notice there is someone sitting on it.

Ole Kiyaipi – One fine day, you guys might just vote in someone purely on merit………yah…ONE FINE DAY IN THE VERY DISTANT FUTURE

UHURU – His major message is … I got a plan and it’s not about this individual standing in front of you…Mine will be a collegiate presidency based on your identified needs covered in our manifesto, and I have a record to show. As for the pending personal matter, me and my colleague will prove our innocence… But what about chapter 6 of the new constitution? Has this limitation been considered exhaustively?

Okay, I still insist, it can only be a debate if the aspirants are fewer and there is room for exchange and critique.

Linus Kaikai: Did a great job as a stern moderator, keeping to issues and pushing for answers.

Julie Gichuru: Didn’t get the brief, and chose to moderate this like an interview. Kept interrupting to the annoyance of the audience.

I preferred Linus Kaikai as a moderator. Julie Gichuru does a good TV interview but was not right for this debate. She talked too much, seemed to reveal her own views and let the debate get slightly out of hand.

Muite: The Gate-crasher…. At the very least, he did address the elephant(s) in the room…ICC, Accountability resting with the Principles, Corruption, Priority on Security, Migingo etc

Martha: Iron Man – Always an excellent orator, very articulate, confident and her knowledge of the law is unquestionable. She was big on accountability and responsible leadership. Tried to soften her face…a little… Still has work to do on that.

Mudavadi: He confirmed that he is very uncharismatic and level-headed. Boring, selling the ‘safe bet’ option in every sentence. Yawn.

Peter Kenneth: He disappointed me a little… thought he would be more authoritative and eloquent, tackling the issues head-on. Sounded very rehearsed, stiff and nervous. And what was that about the German Foundation????

Uhuru Kenyatta: Now he surprised me.. He was very clear and concise, his thought process was great, he didn’t buckle under the ICC pressure, or the ethnic grouping in campaigns discussion, or even the question of them picking up fights from where the fathers left off! He was treading the thin line of arrogance though, but didn’t cross it. He impressed me.

Kiyapi: was also clear-headed and I liked the fact that he kept bringing back the conversation to the issue at hand whenever everyone else digressed. He seems inexperienced compared to all of them in terms of diverse government experience.

Dida: The hired Comedian – No comment.

Odinga on Kenyatta: Can’t understand why Raila didn’t push the “How are you going to run the country from The Hague” line more.

The rest  on Odinga: With all the talk of corruption can’t understand why at least one of the candidates, or even a moderator, didn’t ask Raila about Miguna Mignua and Sarah Elderkin’s allegations that the PM’s office is utterly corrupt.