Kericho County is once again facing political tension as Members of the County Assembly push to remove Governor Erick Mutai from office, barely a year after a similar attempt failed.
This new motion, brought by Sigowet Ward MCA Kiprotich Rogony, claims that Governor Mutai approved payments worth more than Ksh 85 million to contractors for projects that were either abandoned or never started.
Meanwhile, the county is struggling with debts amounting to over Ksh 1.1 billion.To understand this new attempt, it’s important to recall the events of October last year.
At the time, 31 out of 47 MCAs supported a motion to impeach the governor, accusing him of several serious violations. These included misuse of public funds, abuse of office, illegal handling of county revenue, and failure to automate the revenue collection system, which led to widespread corruption.
Other accusations were more personal and damaging, such as claims of sexual misconduct, mismanagement of disaster funds following the Lani accident, and forcibly grabbing private land for use as a dumpsite.
Despite a court order stopping the process, MCAs proceeded with the motion. However, the Senate later dropped the case because it did not meet the required two-thirds majority.
The current motion brings back many of the earlier concerns but adds fresh allegations. It paints a worrying picture of public money being spent without proper work being done. The motion claims that full payments were made in advance to companies hired to upgrade markets, fix rural roads, and provide water, but inspections later found poor-quality work, unfinished projects, or no sign of work at all.
Rogony also says that some of the paperwork justifying these payments was either forged or missing, raising suspicions of collusion between top county officials and selected suppliers.
The Speaker of the County Assembly, Patrick Mutai, has accepted the motion for debate, setting the stage for Governor Mutai to defend himself before the MCAs. If 32 of the 47 MCAs vote in support of the motion, the governor will be removed from office.
Although no date has been announced yet, many expect a tough and drawn-out process. Governor Mutai still enjoys support among some MCAs, just like he did during the first attempt. But this new push could have wider consequences beyond Kericho.
As a member of the United Democratic Alliance and once a close ally of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Mutai’s case reflects both the strengths and weaknesses of UDA leadership at the county level.
While his administration has been credited with development projects, it has also been criticised for lack of transparency. If he is removed, it would be a rare case of a governor from the ruling party being voted out by members of his own camp.
It could also inspire other county assemblies across the country to take similar action where governors are seen to have failed. The large amount of money involved in this case highlights the risks that come with the growing budgets of counties.
Without strong systems to monitor how money is spent, projects can be left incomplete while taxpayers are left to pay the bill.
Kericho’s rising debt is a warning of what can happen when leaders misuse their power and avoid accountability.
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