Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai has pleaded not guilty to fresh impeachment charges levelled against him by the County Assembly of Kericho, setting the stage for a tense trial before the Senate.
Governor Mutai faces three grounds of impeachment: gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.
Among the allegations are claims that he led a mob to invade private land and designated it a dumpsite against a court order, unfairly dismissed county staff, and fostered a toxic work environment characterized by harassment, intimidation, and the use of abusive language.
This marks the second time Mutai is appearing before the Senate to defend himself against similar accusations, having survived an impeachment motion in October last year.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the County Assembly lined up witnesses to testify on the alleged harassment and unlawful dismissal of staff.
However, defence lawyers challenged the witnesses to explain the circumstances of their termination, casting doubt on the credibility of their claims.
Earlier in the proceedings, Mutai’s legal team raised a preliminary objection, arguing that the impeachment motion was invalid as the County Assembly had failed to secure the constitutional threshold of two-thirds of Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in its vote.
The speaker however ruled the matter would be heard in the case.