Inside the power games behind Governor Mutai fresh ouster bid

Last Friday, members of the Kericho County Assembly voted to impeach Governor Eric Mutai for the second time, citing alleged abuse of office.

His supporters believe the move is part of a broader campaign to end his political career early.

In response to the assembly’s decision, which saw 33 out of 47 members support the motion for his ouster, Mutai has moved to court to challenge the ruling.

However, questions are being raised about who is behind the push to remove him from office.

Despite having significant voter support leading up to the last election, the governor now faces an uncertain political future in the high-stakes arena of the South Rift region.

Analysts suggest that Mutai’s difficulties may stem from his own actions, particularly his decision to fire ten key members of his executive team, who had been crucial allies during his governorship campaign.

The group of former County Executive Committee Members, a key plank in the governor’s political career, is said to be unhappy.

“They have teamed up and have vowed to ensure the governor does not complete his first term in office. They have a bone to pick with Mutai, and have done their homework well,” said one of the former officials who served in Mutai’s administration, and was among those fired.

The former official, who did not wish to be named, said the governor went against an agreement they had and acted differently after moving into office.

Additionally, observers believe, sidelining his deputy, Fred Kirui, and the political ambitions of County Assembly Speaker Patrick Mutai may have further exacerbated his situation.Mutai’s troubles are closely tied to his deputy, Kirui, who has raised concerns about corruption within the administration.

According to Kirui, the county allocated millions of shillings between October 2024 and April 2025 for questionable procurement deals, including catering services, office supplies, furniture, staff uniforms, vehicle maintenance and computers.

It was after the whistleblowing that Sigowet Ward MCA Kiprotich Rogony filed the motion of impeachment against Mutai at the assembly, alleging misappropriation of taxpayers’ and donor funds intended for various projects.

The renewed push for his removal followed damning findings by an Ad Hoc Committee of the County Assembly, chaired by Soliat MCA Albert Kipkoech, that investigated Kirui’s claims.

The committee’s report implicated seven chief officers and the Finance County Executive Committee (CEC) member in a procurement scandal involving questionable payments totaling Sh85.7 million—Sh80.5 million to 41 companies and an additional Sh5.1 million to five companies with untraceable payment vouchers.

Citing violations of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, the committee recommended the dismissal of the Finance CEC, disciplinary action against the implicated Chief Officers, and called on the County Public Service Board to take appropriate steps.

 “The Governor bears ultimate responsibility under Section 30(3) (f) of the County Governments Act, 2012, for the management and safeguarding of county resources,” MCA Kipkoech said.

However, Governor Mutai has stayed firm, accusing the county assembly, and the Speaker in particular, of orchestrating a predetermined outcome using an electronic voting system. He claimed the impeachment process was marred with irregularities and alleged that the vote results were manipulated even before voting began.

According to Mutai, nine County Assembly staff members were given access to the electronic voting link to influence the outcome.

“We called for manual voting. Initially, the system recorded six votes, but then it suddenly jumped to over 20, and within minutes, it reached 33. This only confirms what the Speaker’s allies were claiming, that they already had the numbers. The process was rigged, and the results were predetermined,” he told reporters.

The governor questioned why Speaker Mutai insisted on electronic voting when all 47 MCAs were physically present in the chamber.

He emphasized his willingness to undergo a fair and transparent process, even if it meant losing his seat.

“What was so difficult about asking MCAs to stand and be counted manually? All I wanted was fairness. If the assembly truly believed I should be impeached, I would resign with my head held high, but only if justice was served,” he stated. Mutai vowed to fight to retain his seat, dismissing the impeachment as a political maneuver.

He claims the Assembly Speaker, Patrick Mutai, is leading a campaign of political blackmail.

“My administration will not continue under blackmail. I officially consider and will pursue a constitutional petition for the dissolution of the County Government of Kericho. Let’s go for a fresh election and let the people decide who should lead them,” declared the governor.

He accused the Speaker, locally known as “Boinet” (The Gazelle), of fueling the impeachment process to advance his own gubernatorial ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.