The Senate has decided to conduct a full plenary hearing into the impeachment of Kericho Governor Erick Mutai, abandoning an earlier plan to form a special committee to investigate the charges.

The decision follows Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo’s refusal to second a motion by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, which had proposed the creation of an 11-member committee to handle the matter.

“There is no process or route that is flawed. It is members to determine the route they want,” Cheruiyot said as he moved the motion. “Reading the mood of the House, I beg to move the Motion for the formation of a special committee.” However, without a seconder, the motion could not proceed.

Speaker Amason Kingi subsequently ruled that the Senate will hear the impeachment case in a full plenary session scheduled for August 27, 28, and 29, 2025.

He instructed the Clerk of the Senate to issue formal invitations to the involved parties by August 21, request responses by August 25, and circulate all received documents to Senators by the close of business on August 26.

Governor Mutai has faced an impeachment trial before, surviving an earlier attempt in October 2024 after the Kericho County Assembly failed to meet the constitutional two-thirds voting threshold.

The latest motion, initiated by Sigowet Ward MCA Kiprotich Rogony, saw 33 out of 47 members of the County Assembly vote in favour on August 15, 2025.

The upcoming plenary hearing is shaping up to be a high-stakes political and legal showdown, with the governor’s political future hanging in the balance. Senators, legal teams, and political observers will closely follow the proceedings as the case moves forward.