Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has survived impeachment in the Senate on a technicality.
In a precedent-setting decision, 34 senators voted to uphold a preliminary objection raised by the governor’s counsel.
Governor Mutai had argued that the County Assembly did not meet the two-thirds threshold when they impeached him.
Some 31 MCAs out of 47 had voted to impeach the county chief, but the county boss said that the Assembly needed to raise 32 votes to impeach him.
After hours of debate, Speaker Amason Kingi ruled that the matter be subjected to a vote by all the 47 delegations (elected senators).
Thirty-four voted to uphold the objection while 10 voted against it. There was no abstention.
“The motion having been approved the hearing proceedings on proposed removal from office by impeachment of Erick Mutai, the Governor of Kericho County is hereby terminated,” Kingi said.
