Kericho Governor Erick Mutai is set to learn his fate on whether he will retain the county’s gubernatorial seat or lose it, as the Senate is scheduled to deliberate on the motion on August 29.
The impeachment motion against the Governor was initiated by the Kericho County Assembly, which accused him of gross violation of the Constitution, misuse of office, and gross misconduct.
"Kericho County Governor (Dr) Erick Mutai will know his fate today as the Senate deliberates and considers a motion by Kericho County Assembly proposing his removal from office through impeachment," the Senate revealed.
The impeachment hearing has forced the Senate to hold a special session on Friday outside its normal sittings, which take place every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Senate has spent the last three days hearing testimonies and cross-examinations from both the County Assembly and Governor Mutai’s legal team.
In its vote, the Senate will weigh the evidence against the Governor and deliberate whether the two-thirds threshold for impeaching a governor has been met, to either approve the impeachment or save him from ouster for the second time.
The proceedings have drawn national attention, especially as they mark the second time in less than a year that Mutai has faced impeachment charges.
On Thursday, August 28, the Governor mounted a spirited defence against the motion, with his legal team challenging the validity of the electronic voting system used by Members of the County Assembly to vote on his removal.
Mutai argued that the threshold of 32 MCAs had not been met, insisting that only 29 had legally voted. The Assembly maintains that 33 MCAs supported his removal, but the Governor claims that four votes were cast in his favour rather than for the impeachment.
His lawyers argue that those votes were intended to terminate the impeachment process before it moved to the substantive charges.
Mutai will be ousted if at least 24 senators vote for any of the charges against him. Voting will be by delegation, meaning only the 47 elected senators are eligible.
So far, the governor has expressed confidence, alleging that his impeachment was a political witch-hunt.
