Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has survived a second attempt to remove him from office after the Senate ruled that the County Assembly had failed to meet the required threshold to impeach him.
In a vote conducted on Friday, August 29, 26 senators concluded that the threshold for impeachment had not been met, while 16 senators held that it had.
With one senator abstaining, the result meant that the case against Mutai had collapsed at the preliminary stage.
"In the event that the Senate finds that the two-thirds threshold of 32 members of the County Assembly was not met, then the impeachment proceedings shall immediately terminate, and the Senate shall now proceed to determine the impeachment charges.
"The result of the division indicates that the motion has been negatived. Consequently, the impeachment hearing hereby terminates," Senate Speaker Amason Kingi declared.
Read More
Speaking in the Senate, Mutai acknowledged his own shortcomings in leadership, telling senators that the two years he had served so far had been marked by both challenges and important lessons.
"As an individual, I know that I do not claim perfection, I have flaws just like any other human being. My two years journey in political leadership has been learning of lessons," he said.
Mutai appealed to the House to give him another opportunity to serve, saying he was committed to repairing relationships within the county’s leadership.
"When I look around the political environment that we have been in, I pray to this Senate that should I get a chance from this great House, I would also set upon myself to be able to reach out to the entire leadership of Kericho County, especially the MCAs and their Speaker and also the Deputy Governor, and be able to strike a working relationship with them," he continued.
Mutai said this working relationship would also extend to leaders representing Kericho at the national level, including the Senator and Members of Parliament.
"Of course together with the Senator of Kericho County and the members of Parliament from Kericho, and be able to strike a working relationship with them,” he added.
Mutai reminded senators that the county was entering its second last financial year and emphasized the importance of unity in delivering on development goals.
"This is the second last financial year before the end of this five-year cycle, it will allow us to be able to deliver for the people of Kericho County," he further said.
The impeachment motion against Mutai was driven by accusations that he had grossly violated the Constitution, misused his office, and engaged in gross misconduct.
During the hearings, much of the debate centered on the credibility of the process that led to his impeachment.
Senators questioned the reliability of the electronic voting system used at the County Assembly, with concerns raised that some votes were cast remotely.
Witness testimony added further drama to the proceedings; one Member of County Assembly, Hillary Kibet, alleged that he had been offered a cash bribe of Ksh200,000 and trips abroad in exchange for supporting the impeachment motion.
He further claimed that his name appeared among those recorded as having voted even though he had not taken part.
