Kericho Governor Eric Mutai has expressed gratitude to the Senate for dismissing his impeachment and called on leaders in the county to put aside political differences and work together for development.
Speaking on Friday after the Senate voted to save him from removal, Mutai said the decision was proof that “God is a God of second chances” and promised to focus on serving Kericho residents.
“I am not perfect; I have my flaws just like any other human being. But God has given us another opportunity again to go back to Kericho and work for the people,” Mutai said.
The governor thanked his family, supporters, the local team led by lawyer Katwa Kigen, MCAs who stood by him, and pastors who held prayer vigils during the impeachment proceedings.
“Minus them, this was going to be very difficult. They have sweated, they haven’t slept, together with our staff from the Kericho County Government, and they made this happen,” he said.
Mutai praised the Senate for what he described as a fair and transparent hearing.
“The Senate gave us time, they listened to our debates, and they were able to make a rational judgment," he said.
"We did not lobby; we just presented our arguments, and we thank the Senate for upholding our victory."
However, the governor also accused some county leaders of engaging in power struggles ahead of the 2027 elections.
“What we have in Kericho County is a power struggle for those politicians who feel that they cannot face the governor in 2027," he said.
"These games are not for the people of Kericho; they are for personal interests."
Despite the sharp words, the governor said he is ready to work with all leaders but insisted that “respect must be upheld.”
He urged MCAs, MPs and other leaders to hold joint meetings aimed at fostering peace and unity.
“It is time now to put our differences aside, pull together as a county and move forward as one because we must build Kericho," he said.
"We only have one financial year before the next election cycle, but through God’s grace, we will be able to rebuild."
The governor reiterated his appeal for calm, stressing that the mandate given to leaders by voters runs for five years.
“At the end of that period, we go back to the people and they will make a decision whether we did right for them,” he said.
Mutai walked out of the Senate a free man, after the House, by a majority vote, established that the County Assembly failed to meet the required threshold to oust the governor.
In a majority vote, 26 senators affirmed that the MCAs did not reach the two-thirds majority needed to impeach the governor.
Meanwhile, 16 others voted to confirm that the assembly met the required numbers to pass the motion.
One senator abstained. This marks the second time in less than a year that Governor Mutai has avoided impeachment on procedural grounds.
The first attempt in October 2024 collapsed after his legal team successfully argued that the motion fell short of the two-thirds threshold required by the Constitution—31 votes instead of the minimum 32—and the Senate invalidated the motion on those technical grounds.
The Senate’s decision followed three days of marathon hearings.
The Assembly had levelled multiple charges against the governor, including abuse of office, financial impropriety, illegal dismissals, and allegations of fictitious payments.
