NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 12 — President William Ruto has dismissed claims by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua that leaders of the Akorino church were motivated by greed to associate with him.Ruto insisted that clergy are free to engage with the presidency and that his relationship with the religious community predates his time in State House.Speaking during a meeting with members of the Akorino community on Sunday, the President emphasized that State House belongs to all Kenyans and cautioned against attempts to divide the country along ethnic or religious lines.“This State House belongs to all Kenyans. Those who want to divide us on the basis of ethnicity will not succeed,” Ruto said.He noted that his ties with the Akorino community are longstanding and not politically engineered.“There are people who don’t understand that my journey with the Akorino began long before I got into State House. They want to pretend they engineered my relationship with you. We began that journey long ago, and we are going to go further together,” he added.The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to national unity and equal representation of all religious groups in government, saying diversity should be embraced rather than politicized.“I want to assure you that no one will divide you or this nation again. We have agreed that all of you are one. This country belongs to all of us,” he said.Ruto underscored that unity remains central to his leadership agenda, citing biblical teachings to encourage peaceful coexistence.“Unity is a very important thing. The Bible says blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God,” he said.He further pledged continued inclusion of members from different denominations in public service.“All those of different denominations will have space in government. My plan is to ensure we unite the whole country,” he stated.The President also announced additional employment and economic empowerment initiatives targeting the Akorino community, citing positive performance by those already recruited into public service.“There are teaching positions I gave to some Akorino youth, and I am happy they are progressing well. Reports I am getting show that Akorino teachers are sharp,” he said.He revealed that the government would allocate 50 more teaching positions to Akorino youth drawn from Nyeri, Embu, Kirinyaga, Murang’a, and Meru counties.In addition, Ruto said the government would support the establishment of savings and credit cooperative societies (SACCOs) to strengthen economic participation within the community.“You have proposed 10 SACCOs, and we will give five million shillings to each, totalling 50 million shillings,” he announced, adding that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki would lead fundraising efforts to mobilize additional resources.The President’s remarks come amid rising political tensions following criticism from Gachagua, who accused him of “crossing the red line” by inviting members of the Akorino sect to State House.Gachagua claimed the move was intended to “sanitize” the government amid allegations of profiling and mistreatment of the community, particularly in connection with recent clashes in Githunguri, Kiambu County, over a disputed parcel of land earmarked for an affordable housing project.Despite the criticism, Ruto maintained that his administration remains committed to inclusivity and respect for all religious groups.“Everyone should be respected regardless of their religion. I want to assure you that going forward there will be no discrimination,” he said.