Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has been impeached following a decisive vote at the County Assembly on Friday afternoon.
In a special sitting convened at the Kericho County Assembly chambers, 33 out of 47 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) voted in favour of the motion to remove him from office. Fourteen opposed the motion. The tally comfortably surpassed the two-thirds majority required to oust a sitting governor.
The impeachment motion cited gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office and mismanagement of county resources. Heated debate preceded the electronic vote, with Governor Mutai present in the chamber alongside his legal team, led by lawyer Katwa Kigen.
An attempt by the governor’s lawyers to have the vote conducted through roll call was dismissed.
Announcing the results, the County Assembly Speaker told a packed gallery that the matter will now be forwarded to the Senate.
The Senate will determine whether to uphold the impeachment, in which case Governor Mutai would be permanently removed from office.
This is not the first time Mutai has faced impeachment attempts. In a previous bid, 31 MCAs supported his removal, but the motion failed to stand after review by the Senate.
Governor Mutai will now get another chance to defend himself before senators.
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