President William Ruto has urged Kenya Kwanza government officials to tone down recent criticisms against his administration.

Ruto spoke at the Akorino Annual Prayer Conference on Sunday, June 9, at Nakuru Boys High School, saying the country has to be unified and leaders must 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 president’s call follows weeks of verbal sparring among his core allies.

Gachagua, who has been advocating for unity in the Mt Kenya region, has recently come under fire from a group of leaders who accuse him of inciting tribalism.

However, in response to the attacks on Sunday, Gachagua stated that his demand for a unified Mt Kenya is not intended to incite 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 officials who oppose regional unification are either confused or have ‘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 stated that the forces driving conflict in the region are terrified of its cohesiveness because of its large voter base and want to destabilize it, asking Gachagua to continue his efforts to bring citizens together.