Kericho politics have once again taken center stage after Governor Eric Mutai survived another attempt to remove him from office. The Senate on Friday evening acquitted him in a closely contested vote where 25 senators voted against his removal, 16 supported the motion, and one abstained.
This decision allowed him to remain in office despite serious accusations leveled by the Kericho County Assembly.
The impeachment motion had been brought forward on August 15, accusing the governor of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and financial mismanagement. Among the claims was the irregular payment of KSh85 million and alleged mishandling of projects funded by donors.
The County Assembly argued that 33 of its 47 members supported the motion, which surpassed the two-thirds constitutional requirement for the matter to reach the Senate.
However, once the case was presented in the upper house, several questions arose about the credibility of the process.
Governor Mutai’s lawyers, led by Senior Counsel Katwa Kigen, challenged the County Assembly’s use of electronic voting during the impeachment process. They argued that some members cast their votes remotely without proper verification, raising doubts about whether the two-thirds threshold had truly been met.
This point caught the attention of senators, including Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi and Taita Taveta Senator Danston Mungatana, who questioned the legality of the procedure.
Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that the threshold had been met, allowing the Senate to proceed with the hearings. For three days, both sides presented their cases, with the County Assembly insisting that the governor had violated the law, while Mutai’s team argued that the accusations were politically motivated and not backed by solid evidence.
In the end, the Senate was not convinced that the charges met the constitutional threshold required for removal from office.
This was not the first time Mutai faced impeachment. A similar attempt in October 2024 failed after the Senate ruled that the County Assembly had not gathered enough votes to proceed. The repeated challenges highlight the political tension in Kericho, with the governor’s opponents seemingly determined to push him out while he continues to resist.
In his defense, Mutai strongly rejected the allegations, saying that the impeachment was an act of political witch-hunt designed by the County Assembly Speaker and his allies.
He referred to the move as “political murder” and urged senators to protect justice and respect the will of Kericho voters who elected him.
The failed attempt has once again bought him more time in office, but it also leaves the county politically divided. While his supporters see the acquittal as a victory for democracy, his critics argue that accountability has been watered down.
With two failed impeachment attempts in less than a year, the political battles in Kericho are far from over, and Mutai will have to carefully navigate the coming months to maintain his grip on power.
