Nominated Senator Crystal Asige has raised serious concerns about the reliability of Kericho County Assembly’s electronic voting system, questioning whether all votes conducted through the system should be reviewed if it was compromised during the impeachment proceedings against the county governor.

Speaking during the impeachment hearing of the Kericho governor, Erick Mutai, on Friday, August 29, 2025, Asige addressed Kericho MCA Hillary Kibet about the county assembly’s voting procedures following his claims of system manipulation.

“The sitting in question is on the 15th of the month. I want to know from the witness: since the 15th, have the county assembly sat for any other sittings, and have there been any other votes taken, if there’s been any other session taken after the 15th?” Asige inquired.

Potential consequences

The Senator outlined the potential consequences if the electronic voting system had been compromised, and questioned whether proceedings and decisions made after August 15, 2025, could be trusted if the electronic system had been susceptible to manipulation.

“Why I ask is because, if the answer is yes, then are we to believe that all of the proceedings, sittings, and votings that have happened through this electronic voting system should be put into focus as something to be reviewed, because if they were manipulatable on the 15th, then they are manipulatable thereafter,” Asige stated.

Responding to Asige’s inquiry, MCA Hillary Kibet clarified the assembly’s procedures following the conclusion of voting sessions.

“There were no votes after the closure of the voting time as per the standing orders,” Kibet replied.

Rigging claims

Kibet, who was testifying on behalf of Governor Mutai, reiterated the governor’s remarks shortly after the impeachment on Friday, August 15, 2025.

Mutai had stated that the electronic voting system was compromised, which allowed some assembly staff to have pre-voted before the official session began.

“There was no impeachment in Kericho. We raised our issues on the floor of the House, and we came in person. We raised our issues that an election has already been done,” Mutai declared.

“And we know, and I can confirm, that nine staff of the County Assembly had already been given the link to pre-vote,” he added.

According to Mutai, the entire voting system was designed to produce a specific outcome regardless of the actual sentiments of assembly members.

“Because already they had made up their mind, they created a system that was already rigged and the results were predetermined,” he charged.

He described the voting pattern, which he said demonstrated the predetermined results.

“That explains why, at the beginning of the voting, it began with six votes, not one vote, but six votes. Then it went to around 20-something, then in a short time, it went to 32, then 33. It confirms what his cronies have been saying, that we are 33 or 34 in number,” the governor explained.