The Senate will on Wednesday begin impeachment hearings against Kericho Governor Eric Mutai, with proceedings set to run through Friday, August 29, 2025.
The House will sit as a trial court in plenary, with Speaker Amason Kingi presiding over the high-stakes hearings that will determine Mutai’s political fate.
The process will open with the formal reading of charges, after which the Governor will be required to enter a plea. The County Assembly, which initiated the ouster bid, will then present its case, followed by the Governor’s defence.
Senators are expected to vote on the Motion on Friday, with county delegations deciding whether to uphold or dismiss the charges.
Mutai faces accusations of gross violation of the Constitution, abuse of office, and gross misconduct — the second impeachment attempt against him in under a year.
The Assembly alleges he oversaw irregular expenditures and fraudulent payments amounting to at least Ksh.85.7 million, including overpriced items such as soda bottles at Ksh.500 and tissue paper at Ksh.2,750 per bale. Companies were allegedly paid without documentation, while contractors were reportedly compensated twice for old projects.
Irregularities were also flagged in the management of the Ksh.351 million National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project and the FLOCCA climate fund, where Chemosot ward — Mutai’s home area — was allegedly favoured. Funds raised for victims of the Londiani road tragedy are also said to have been misappropriated.
On abuse of office, the Governor is accused of nepotism, unlawful appointments, and misleading the public on recruitment. He also faces claims of orchestrating a land invasion in Kericho town, converting private property into a dumpsite in defiance of a court order.
A proposal to establish a Senate select committee collapsed after Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo declined to second Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot’s Motion, leaving the matter to be handled by the full House.
