Kericho Governor Mutai terms ouster bid a "political conspiracy", accuses speaker of eyeing his seat

Governor Erick Mutai has accused the Kericho County Assembly of plotting to remove him from office for political gain, claiming that Speaker Patrick Mutai is using impeachment as a pathway to the governorship.

Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, the governor described his impeachment as a “well-orchestrated political conspiracy” driven by malice and expediency. He urged senators to dispense justice both to him and to the people of Kericho.

“What is happening in Kericho is a well-orchestrated political conspiracy to remove the governor of Kericho. One is for political expediency by a county speaker whose interest is to become a governor,” he said.

“I beseech you that you find it that the people of Kericho get justice, then at the same time the governor of Kericho also gets justice.”

The governor faces accusations of abuse of office, mismanagement of public funds, and responsibility in the alleged loss of over Sh9 million meant for victims of the Londiani accident. On this, Mutai told senators that he had no role in creating committees that handled funeral arrangements, noting that this responsibility fell to the county secretary and the county commissioner.

He added that a court had already ruled that no funds were lost.

He asked the Senate to draw a distinction between his role as governor and the responsibilities of county officers.

Mutai further argued that his impeachment was procedurally flawed, pointing out that key reports forming the basis of the motion were only presented to him after it had already been filed.

“With a lot of humility, I wish to state before this honourable House that the report on the fictitious payments was handed to me by the county assembly after my impeachment had already been tabled, and they asked me to act on it,” he told senators.

“How then was I expected to act on it when the motion was already before the House?”

The governor accused the assembly leadership of relying on disputed ad hoc reports touching on the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCCA) programme, and alleged fraudulent payments to fast-track his removal.

He maintained that his impeachment was politically motivated, reiterating that Speaker Patrick Mutai had ambitions to succeed him.

“At the county assembly, we also have a speaker whose interest is to be the governor of Kericho. How then do you become the governor? Impeach the governor, impeach the deputy governor and pave the way,” he said.

In his defence, Mutai turned to literature to illustrate his point, quoting Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. He compared his impeachment to “political murder” carried out through flawed processes.

“I implore upon the county assembly of Kericho that, as much as we may have political aspirations, let us resist the temptation of political murder for the sake of ambition,” he said.

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• accuses speaker of eyeing his seat

Mutai insisted that he neither authorised fraudulent payments nor mismanaged county projects, arguing that culpable officers should be held accountable individually. Some of those officials are expected to testify before the Senate.

“As governor of Kericho, I stand before you under your mercy, Mr Speaker and honourable senators, so that justice may be served not just for me but for the people of Kericho,” he said.

“I put my trust in this House that has always done things in the right and constitutional way.”