Kericho Governor Erick Mutai has formally written to President William Ruto seeking the dissolution of the county government, citing a complete breakdown in relations between his administration and the County Assembly.

Speaking at the county headquarters just hours after a notice of motion for his impeachment was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mutai accused Assembly Speaker Patrick Mutai of orchestrating a scheme to unseat him through what he described as political intimidation and threats.

"I am therefore officially pursuing a constitutional petition for the dissolution of the County Government of Kericho under Article 192 of the Constitution of Kenya," he said.

The governor declared that his administration would not be coerced into submission, adding that the only way forward was to let the people of Kericho decide who should lead them.

"Let’s go for a fresh election and let the people decide who should lead them. My administration will not continue in this manner. We will not be held hostage. We hope that when the President receives Kericho’s petition, he will respect the people’s will and allow us all to seek a fresh mandate," he stated.

To build public backing for the petition, the governor announced plans to launch a signature collection drive across the county.

At the same time, Mutai said he was ready to appear before the Assembly next week to defend himself against allegations of gross constitutional violations.

The impeachment motion stems from a report by an Ad Hoc Committee of the County Assembly that investigated irregular payments amounting to KSh 80 million made by senior county officials. The report recommends the sacking of the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and disciplinary action against seven Chief Officers.

However, the governor dismissed the findings, claiming the report had been manipulated and that some individuals had been bribed to influence the outcome.

He also said he regretted his choice of Deputy Governor Fred Kirui, accusing him of being the main whistleblower in the probe that resulted in the impeachment process.