The impeachment trial of Kericho Governor Erick Mutai entered a dramatic turn on Friday, August 29, 2025, after Kapkatet Ward MCA Amos Birir, one of the governor’s witnesses, told the Senate that he does not know how to operate a smartphone.

Birir, who took the stand as the third witness in defence of the embattled governor, insisted that he never participated in the controversial online voting exercise that formed part of the case against Mutai. The MCA said he was wrongly listed among those who voted, despite lacking the knowledge or access to do so.

“I don’t know how to use a smartphone,” Birir told senators. “My PA and my secretary have access to Facebook and WhatsApp, and I trust they did not vote. They did not vote because the link was sent to the phone that I have, which doesn’t have access to the internet, so they didn’t have the link,” Birir added

The MCA further explained that the phone in question was not in his possession at the time of the vote.

“I did not even click the link since I had left this phone in the vehicle. I just saw the message later,” he added.

Birir is among 18 MCAs who have disputed the online voting system used in the impeachment process; most of them stated that their names were misrepresented. He told the Senate that the electronic system was new to him and that no one had taken him through its usage before it was deployed, since the communication on using online was late.

His testimony adds a new dimension to Governor Mutai’s defence, with questions now emerging over the credibility of the voting process that led to the impeachment. Mutai’s legal team has argued that the online platform was prone to manipulation and that several MCAs were falsely recorded as participants.

The Senate continues to hear witnesses as it deliberates whether to uphold or overturn Governor Mutai’s impeachment.