Monday June 10, 2024
President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua (left) at the Akorino National Thanksgiving Prayer Conference in Nakuru County on June 9, 2024. Image: PCS
President William Ruto has called on leaders in the Kenya Kwanza government to tone down on attacks that have characterised his administration recently.
Speaking at Nakuru Boys High School grounds on Sunday, June 9, during the Akorino Annual Prayer Conference, Ruto said the country needs to be united asking leaders to lead from the front.
"Tuungane, tushirikiane, tuweke amani sisi wote tuchangie katika kuhakikisha Kenya yetu ni Kenya moja (Let us unite, cooperate and work on peace to ensure ours is a united Kenya). We want the best for our country," he said.
Ruto urged all leaders, regardless of their tribe or ethnic group to work on a united nation for the benefit of all citizens.
"I want to plead with my fellow leaders not to divide Kenyans. We must unite our people for the sake of peace and development," he said.
The call by the president comes after weeks of war of words among his key allies.
Gachagua, who has been calling for unity in the Mt Kenya region, has recently faced criticism from a section of leaders who accused him of fanning tribalism.
But in a rejoinder to the attacks on Sunday, Gachagua said his call for a united Mt Kenya is not aimed at antagonising any community.
"I am on record as a great peacemaker. The unity we are calling for is not against anybody, it is the unity of purpose. The unity we are calling for is the unity of Kenya and we are doing it bottom up," Gachagua, who was also at the Akorino Annual Prayer Conference, said.
Leaders backing Gachagua's call also defended his unity call saying there is nothing wrong with it.
"We are in a bottom-up government. All things in our government start from the village level before going up and everybody comes from a village. What wrong has Gachagua done by trying to solidify his backyard?," Maragua MP Mary Waithera said.
According to her, local leaders working against the unity of the region are either confused or have been 'fed' enough.
"Those accusing Gachagua of being a villager just for discussing issues pertaining to his region should be investigated because they could have been paid to do so," she said.
The MP said the forces fueling conflicts within the region are afraid of its unity due to its high numbers of voters and are keen on destabilising it, urging Gachagua to persist in his efforts to bring residents together.