Written by Joyce Nzomo
Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has strongly disputed his impeachment, dismissing the process as flawed, predetermined, and lacking transparency.
Speaking shortly after the County Assembly voted to remove him from office, Mutai maintained that no legitimate impeachment had taken place. He accused the Assembly of using a rigged system to oust him.
“There was no impeachment in Kericho. We raised our issues on the floor of the house, and we came in person,” the embattled governor said.
Mutai alleged that the electronic voting system used during the proceedings was compromised. According to him, nine staff members of the County Assembly had already been given access to the system before the vote began.
“I can confirm that nine staff of the county assembly had already been given the link to pre-vote. That explains why at the beginning of the voting, it started with six votes, not one. Within a short time, it jumped to 20, then 32, and eventually 33,” he explained.
He further questioned why SMS-based voting was used when all 47 MCAs were present in the chamber.
“The simple question is this, why resort to SMS voting when all members are in the chamber? What is so difficult about asking people to stand and then counting them? We only asked for one thing fairness,” he posed.
Mutai, however, emphasized that he was not opposed to leaving office if the process was conducted transparently.
“If someone feels I should be impeached, I am ready to go home with my head held high but only if fairness and justice is upheld,” he added.
The governor also faulted the digital voting method, claiming it lacked independent oversight from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or any other relevant authority.
He hinted at moving to court to challenge the outcome, insisting that he has enough evidence to support his case.
“We have other evidence that we are going to submit both in court and in the Senate,” Mutai stated.
Following the impeachment, the Kericho County Assembly is expected to notify the Senate within two days. The Senate will then investigate the charges against Governor Mutai before deciding whether to uphold or reject the Assembly’s decision.
