Boni Khalwale: 16 of us wanted Erick Mutai to pay for the rot in Kericho
By Valerian Khakayi, August 30, 2025Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has expressed disappointment after Kericho Governor Erick Mutai survived his second impeachment attempt.
In a statement shared shortly after the ruling on Saturday, August 30, 2025, Khalwale said that Mutai had escaped accountability, revealing that he was among the section of senators who had pushed for his removal.
In addition, Khalwale pointed out that he had done his best for the people of Kericho and asked them to bear with the outcome.
However, the vocal senator revealed that Mutai emerged unscathed from an impeachment battle in the Senate after 16 senators voted in support of the impeachment motion, 26 opposed it, and one abstained.
“16 of us Senators wanted Gov Mutai to pay for the rot in Kericho, but he has escaped. – 16 Yes – 26 No – 1 Abstain Poleni, the great people of Kericho. I did the best I could for you, “Khawale expressed disappointment.
Impeachment
Mutai survived his second impeachment after the Senate nullified the MCAs’ ouster bid, ruling that the two-thirds threshold had not been met.
The division of votes cast by senators on Friday, August 29, 2025, resulted in 16 ayes, 26 nays, and 1 abstention, falling short of the threshold required to remove the governor from office.
Speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, while giving the final verdict after the voting process, stated that since the Senate found the threshold of 32 Members of the County Assembly had not been met, the impeachment proceedings would immediately terminate and the Senate would not proceed to hear the charges.
He added that the results of the division showed the threshold was not achieved, which consequently led to the termination of the impeachment hearing.
“In the event that the Senate finds the 32-member threshold of the county assembly was not met, then the impeachment proceedings shall immediately terminate and the Senate shall not proceed to determine the impeachment charges,” Kingi said.
“The results of the division indicated that the results has been negative; consequently, the impeachment hearing is hereby terminated.”
Charges
The charges that faced Mutai fell under three main categories: gross violation of the Constitution and other laws, abuse of office, and gross misconduct.
This marks the second time Mutai has faced impeachment since assuming office, underscoring deep divisions in the county assembly ahead of the 2027 elections.