The political fate of Kericho Governor Eric Mutai now hangs in the balance as the Senate prepares to open his impeachment trial tomorrow, Wednesday 27th August. The high-stakes proceedings will run until Friday 29th August, with the full House sitting as a trial court.
The process begins with the formal reading of charges, after which the embattled Governor will be required to enter a plea. The Kericho County Assembly, which initiated the impeachment, will then take the lead in presenting its case. Its lawyers are expected to table documents, question witnesses, and lay out what they describe as a trail of corruption and abuse of office. Once their case is concluded, Mutai’s defence team will take the floor, seeking to dismantle the allegations through their own witnesses and evidence.
At the heart of the charges are claims of massive financial irregularities. According to particulars read by Speaker Amason Kingi, the County Assembly accuses the Governor of presiding over fictitious payments and exaggerated costs that drained public resources. From millions allegedly paid to companies without supporting documents, to contractors pocketing money for long-completed projects, to overpriced supplies that raised eyebrows—including soda bottles reportedly bought at five hundred shillings each—Assembly members argue that the county treasury was reduced to a playground for fraud.
The Governor’s handling of flagship development funds has equally come under fire. A report by the Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee flagged the mismanagement of the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, where over three hundred and fifty million shillings meant for farmers across the county was either diverted, poorly accounted for, or delivered in the form of substandard farm inputs. Similar concerns have been raised over the climate action fund, with claims that Mutai’s home ward of Chemosot received a disproportionate share of projects, while other wards were sidelined. Even the funds raised for victims of the Londiani junction road tragedy—more than nine million shillings—are said to have mysteriously disappeared.
Mutai also faces accusations of abuse of office, with the Assembly citing instances of nepotism and favouritism. Among the most striking claims is the employment of his brother as a revenue clerk and the controversial appointment of his aide’s wife as a nurse ahead of more experienced staff. His appointment of a County Attorney despite the position already being filled was later nullified by the Employment and Labour Relations Court, which went as far as ordering the Governor personally to pay two million shillings in costs.
On the charge of gross misconduct, the Governor is alleged to have led a mob in invading private land in Kericho town shortly after taking office. The Assembly claims he demolished a fence, declared the parcel a county dumpsite, and did so in defiance of both environmental regulations and a standing court order.
The Senate trial itself is the result of a dramatic twist inside Parliament. Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot had initially sought to form a select committee to investigate the matter, but the idea collapsed when Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo declined to second it. The collapse paved the way for the full Senate to sit in plenary, guaranteeing that every vote will count as Senators prepare to decide whether Mutai should continue in office or be shown the door.
For the Governor, this is the second impeachment attempt in less than a year. For the Senate, it is another test of its ability to hold county executives to account. And for Kericho residents, it is three days that may reshape their county’s leadership and future.
