Kericho Governor Erick Mutai survives impeachment
Kericho Governor Erick Mutai is relieved after surviving impeachment in the Senate.
Mutai survived the impeachment after 34 senators voted to uphold his preliminary objection that the minimum threshold of 32 MCAs was not met at the County Assembly.
10 senators voted against upholding the objection.
“The motion to impeach Kericho Governor Hon. Dr Erick Mutai by impeachment did not meet the two-thirds threshold. The speaker of the County Assembly was wrong. It is only 31 out of the 47 who voted in support of the motion,” Mutai had argued through his lawyer Katwa Kigen.
31 MCAs had voted in favour of Mutai’s impeachment accusing him of mismanagement of county finances, and gross violation of the Constitution.
The MCAs also argue that the county head misappropriated, misallocated and engaged in illegal drawings of county revenue and county finances, thus violating several provisions of the law, including Articles 10, 183, and 201 of the Constitution, as well as Sections 102 and 109 of the Public Finance Management Act.
Mutai is also accused of obstructing the implementation of a tender for the procurement of the Integrated County Revenue Management System, awarded on December 14, 2023.
Additionally, the governor is accused of indecent sexual conduct, engaging in acts of bullying, incitement, and vilification of political opponents among others.