Kericho Governor Eric Mutai’s fight to block his impeachment hit a wall yesterday after the Senate dismissed his bid to terminate the case on technical grounds, clearing the way for a full-blown trial.
The embattled county boss, already battling accusations of abuse of office and financial misconduct, maintains his ouster was nothing more than political scheming by rivals eager to take his seat.
“This is a well-choreographed conspiracy to kick me out because of political expediency,” Mutai said, pointing fingers at the county assembly speaker, whom he accused of eyeing the governorship.
Senate Declines to Halt Case
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that Mutai’s objections—centered on the legality of the county assembly vote—were premature and could only be settled once evidence was heard.
“The question of whether the statutory threshold was met is indeed fundamental. But because the facts are contested, this Senate can only decide after listening to both sides,” Kingi said.
Mutai’s legal team, led by Katwa Kigen and Peter Wanyama, had argued that the impeachment motion failed to garner the required two-thirds majority. While the assembly reported 33 votes in favour, they claimed only 29 MCAs lawfully supported it, falling short of the 32-member threshold.
They also attacked the integrity of the electronic voting system, alleging it lacked safeguards and enabled impersonation. According to Mutai, MCAs logged in with ID and payroll numbers sent by SMS—without passwords or verification—opening the door to manipulation. In one instance, he claimed, the motion’s sponsor even cast a vote on behalf of another member.
The assembly’s lawyer, Ongoya, dismissed the claims as “sensationalism,” insisting the system was legitimate and backed by Standing Orders. He said duplications in logs were clerical, not evidence of double voting.
What Happens Next
The Senate will now proceed to the evidence stage, where both camps will present witnesses to prove or disprove the credibility of the impeachment vote. Mutai has lined up 18 MCAs to back his claims of irregularities.
If the Senate determines that the threshold of 32 votes was not met, the proceedings collapse. If confirmed, the House will then move to the substance of the charges against Mutai.
The Charges
Governor Mutai is accused of gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, and gross misconduct. Investigators say he authorised irregular payments amounting to Sh85.7 million for undelivered goods, inflated contracts, and incomplete projects.
The charges also allege inflated costs for agricultural inputs that never reached farmers, fictitious maintenance of 15 residential houses, and procurement breaches, including contract splitting and advance payments despite Kericho County’s Sh1.1 billion pending bills.
For now, Mutai insists he is the victim of a political witch-hunt. But with the Senate now set to test the evidence, his fate rests on whether the numbers—and the charges—hold up under scrutiny.
