Kipngeno Bett, a former county chief officer testifying against Governor Mutai in the Senate. Photo PBU 
By Andrew Mbuva
Kericho Governor Eric Mutai has been accused of using his office to harass and humiliate county employees, allegedly demanding money and personal favors to safeguard their jobs. The claims were made before the Senate during ongoing impeachment proceedings against the Governor.
Two former senior officials testified that they were repeatedly coerced into contributing cash to the Governor’s fundraisers and what they described as unexplained “emergency requests.”
Former County Executive Committee (CEC) member Edna Tanui told Senators that over a two-year period she personally gave the Governor more than Sh1.5 million, money she says came from her personal savings.
She alleged that her dismissal on December 23, 2024—announced through the Governor’s official Facebook page—was linked to her refusal to continue contributing to the Governor’s demands.
“I suspect I had to go because I refused to support him in his fundraisers,” Tanui said, insisting she had evidence of conversations with the Governor asking for money.
However, documents submitted by the County Assembly showed only Sh300,000 deposited directly into the Governor’s Mpesa account. Pressed by Senators and the Governor’s lawyers to explain the Sh1.2 million discrepancy, Tanui maintained that she delivered the additional funds in cash through the Governor’s aides, whom she identified as Robinson Kiplagat and Renny Kipsang Ngetich.
“If given time, I can produce conversations leading to the payments,” she said, though admitting it would require Safaricom call records to substantiate her claims.
Lawmakers questioned the credibility of her testimony. Senator Danson Mungatana argued the explanation was insufficient, while Senator Okiya Omtatah asked why she never reported the alleged extortion to investigative agencies. Senator Godfrey Osotsi suggested the transactions could have been linked to corruption and challenged her to disclose the source of the money.
Another witness, Kipngeno Bett, a former county chief officer, claimed the Governor repeatedly called him to demand cash, sometimes humiliating him in front of his family. “I sent him money many times after he called. I don’t know where he expected me to get the money from,” Bett said.
Both witnesses maintained that the funds came from their personal businesses and savings.
A third witness, Alfred Mutai Korir, testified separately, assuring Senators that the Assembly’s digital voting system was tamperproof and could not be manipulated, in what appeared to be a defense against claims of irregularities in the impeachment process.
The Senate will continue hearing evidence before ruling on the fate of Governor Mutai, whose leadership now hangs in the balance.
