Governor Mutai petitions Ruto to dissolve Kericho County Government as impeachment motion looms
The dissolution request follows a notice of impeachment brought against the governor amid allegations of gross constitutional violations and irregular payments amounting to Sh80 million involving senior county officials.
Governor Erick Mutai has officially requested that President William Ruto dissolve the Kericho County Government, citing a severe breakdown in relations between the executive and the County Assembly that has rendered governance impossible.
Speaking at the county headquarters shortly after a notice of motion to impeach him was presented in the County Assembly on Wednesday, Mutai said the political environment had become hostile and untenable.
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"I am therefore officially pursuing a constitutional petition for the dissolution of the County Government of Kericho under Article 192 of the Constitution of Kenya," he said.
To support the petition, the governor announced that his administration would launch a countywide campaign to collect signatures from residents in favour of the move.
"Let’s go for a fresh election and let the people decide who should lead them. My administration will not continue in this manner. We will not be held hostage. We hope that when the President receives Kericho’s petition, he will respect the people’s will and allow us all to seek a fresh mandate," Mutai said.
The dissolution request follows a notice of impeachment brought against the governor amid allegations of gross constitutional violations and irregular payments amounting to Sh80 million involving senior county officials.
The new motion, dated August 6, was tabled by Sigowet Ward MCA Kiprotich Rogony and officially received by the Speaker’s office on the same day. This is the second time Governor Mutai is facing an ouster attempt since taking office in 2022.
The petition has a signed list of MCAs backing the process, documentary evidence, and a proposed motion. The documents were addressed to the Clerk of the County Assembly, who acknowledged receipt and confirmed that the motion met the threshold set under Standing Order No. 70.
“The proposed motion complies with our Standing Order No. 70 and will be scheduled accordingly,” the Speaker of the County Assembly said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Although the petition does not spell out the specific charges, sources within the County Assembly point to alleged governance and accountability concerns as some of the issues driving the renewed push to remove the governor.
The latest effort revives a battle that first emerged in 2024, when a similar attempt to impeach Governor Mutai failed after the Senate dismissed the motion on procedural grounds.
Mutai dismissed the report by an Ad Hoc Committee of the County Assembly, which recommended firing the Finance CEC and taking disciplinary action against seven Chief Officers. He alleged that the committee’s findings were manipulated through bribery and political interference.
The governor also turned the spotlight on his Deputy Governor Fred Kirui, accusing him of betrayal and labelling him the whistleblower behind the impeachment probe.
“I made a mistake appointing my Deputy Governor. He is the whistleblower behind the Assembly report,” Mutai said.
Despite the impeachment motion, Mutai expressed his willingness to appear before the County Assembly next week to defend himself against the accusations.
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