Aasai

Controversial Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has strongly denied the charges levelled against him in his impeachment motion that is currently at the sanate, calling the incidents a well-planned plot to remove him from office for political gain. 

In his opening speech at the Senate on Wednesday, August 27, Mutai alleged that the Speaker of the Kericho County Assembly wanted him removed to take over the governorship himself directly. He alleged that during his impeachment before the County Assembly, the Speaker changed the numbers to meet the two-thirds majority required for his removal from office.

 "What is happening in Kericho is a well-planned political plot to remove the governor. One is for political gain and the caravan, because in the County Assembly we have a speaker whose intention is to become the governor of Kericho," he said. "This is to impeach the governor and perhaps along the way impeach the deputy governor and sit as governor and deputy so that in the ten years he served as CEC Kericho in charge of finance and CEC in charge of roads he can accomplish what he has never accomplished." 

In the motion to remove Sigowet Ward MCA Kiprotich Rogony from office, the Governor was accused of embezzlement of public funds and donors and abuse of office, evidence of which was revealed in the report of the Temporary Committee. Specifically, he was accused of allowing false payments worth Ksh.85 million to contractors for works that were not done.

 Commenting on this, the governor questioned why the report was handed over to him after his resignation motion was tabled before the County Assembly. He noted that the governors role would be to punish government officials involved in the scandal but pointed out that Kericho MCAs voted for him before he had a chance to take action.

 "The false payment report was handed to me by the County Assembly after I filed my impeachment. On the basis of this recommendation, many of which included pictures of houses, the Committee had recommended that the CEOs be disciplined by the Public Service Board,, but charges had already been filed before I received the report," Mutai noted. Mutai, who was impeached after 33 out of 47 MCAs voted against him, called on the Senators to review and argue all the facts to arrive at a fair outcome. The governor had previously escaped similar impeachment in October 2024 after the Senate rescued him.