Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has accused his political opponents of orchestrating his recent impeachment attempt as a strategy to avoid facing him in the 2027 general elections, arguing the process was driven by personal interests rather than genuine governance concerns.

Speaking after successfully defending himself against impeachment charges at the Senate on Friday, August 29, 2025, Mutai characterised the impeachment attempt as part of a broader power struggle involving politicians who fear competing against him in the upcoming election cycle.

“What we have in Kericho county is a struggle, a power struggle for those politicians who feel that they cannot face the governor in 2027. They know that I’m anointed servant of the lord, and they know that I’m in this seat by God’s grace,” Mutai declared.

Political opponents

The governor expressed his belief that the impeachment attempt was not rooted in governance failures but in political manoeuvres, suggesting that his political opponents were intimidated by the prospect of an electoral contest.

“When they imagine meeting Mutai at the ballot box, they shudder, and all these games they are doing are not for the people of Kericho. It is their own interest,” the governor asserted.

Mutai challenged his critics to wait for the democratic process rather than pursuing what he termed illegitimate means to remove him from office.

“That’s why we are telling them hold on your horses, let us wait for 2027, that we meet at the ballot, then allow the people of Kericho to vote,” he reiterated.

Second impeachment proceedings

Friday, August 29, 2025, marked the second time Erick Mutai successfully won against an impeachment attempt.

This latest bid to oust him failed after the Senate, by a majority vote, determined that the County Assembly did not meet the required threshold to remove the governor.

In a majority vote, 26 senators confirmed that the Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) did not achieve the two-thirds majority needed for impeachment.

Meanwhile, 16 senators voted to affirm that the Kericho County Assembly had the necessary numbers to pass the motion, with one senator abstaining from the vote.

The County Assembly had accused the governor of misconduct, misuse of public resources, unlawful staff dismissals, and authorising questionable payments.