Kericho Governor Erick Mutai addressing the media last night after surviving his second impeachment attempt. Photo by PBU 
By Andrew Mbuva
Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai has once again survived an attempt to oust him after the Senate dismissed his impeachment on grounds that the County Assembly failed to meet the constitutional threshold.
After three days of heated deliberations, Senators ruled that the Assembly did not attain the required two-thirds majority vote to remove the Governor from office. Instead, the debate was consumed by questions surrounding the voting process rather than the substance of the charges leveled against Mutai.
The Kericho County Assembly had accused the Governor of violating the Constitution, abuse of office, and gross misconduct. However, doubts persisted over whether 33 Members of County Assembly (MCAs) – the threshold for a valid impeachment – had actually voted.
Mutai mounted a strong defense, calling nearly 20 witnesses, including 18 MCAs and an IT expert. The Assembly presented six witnesses of its own, while the Senate summoned an independent expert from the ICT Authority. Despite this, none of the experts provided clarity on who voted or whether the tally met the required threshold.
In the end, 26 Senators voted to reject the impeachment Motion, arguing the voting was unverifiable. Sixteen Senators supported the Motion, while one abstained.
Senator Okongo Omogeni dismissed the electronic voting system introduced a day before the impeachment as a “special purpose vehicle designed to take the Governor home.” He argued the system left reasonable doubt over whether the required 33 MCAs participated.
His sentiments were echoed by Senators Danson Mungatana and Tom Ojienda, who stressed that impeachment should meet a high standard of proof akin to criminal trials—beyond reasonable doubt. Senator Godfrey Osotsi also faulted the ICT Authority’s report, saying it lacked documentary backing.
In his ruling, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi declared the proceedings terminated, noting that without proof of the two-thirds majority in the Assembly, the Senate had no mandate to conduct a trial.
Governor Mutai’s political survival marks his second victory against impeachment efforts, underscoring sharp divisions within the Kericho County Assembly and raising questions over the credibility of its processes.
