Azimio leader Raila Odinga has termed as a PR gimmick President William Ruto's invitation for talks over the issues he has raised.
In an interview with Aljazeera on Wednesday, Raila said for starters, Ruto would not have invited him for the talks via social media if he were serious.
"He knows my address he knows my telephone number and everything. He is basically just playing games. That is like a public relations exercise," Raila said.
In his tweet on Tuesday, Ruto said, "My friend Raila Odinga, am off to Tanzania for a human capital meeting to harmonise the expansion of employment opportunities in our continent. Am back tomorrow evening, and as you have always known, am available to meet one on one with you anytime at your convenience".
Raila, however, dismissed the invitation saying Ruto has not demonstrated any seriousness to hold any meaningful dialogue with him.
He said were that the case, the President would not have failed to meet Tanzania President Suluhu Hassan who had jetted into the country two weeks ago to mediate the talks.
State House has since denied it but Raila reiterated that the visiting President was in Kenya on Ruto’s invitation.
“She spent here two days wishing to come and bring us together he actually rejected and refused to meet her,” he said.
"That was a big humiliation. If he was serious in terms of negotiating, that was the time and we could have met and we would have started this conversation."
Raila spoke on a day that Ruto met with President Hassan in Tanzania on the sidelines of the Africa heads of State summit on human in Dar es Salaam.
He said Ruto's lack of seriousness has been a long-running affair best demonstrated through the failed bipartisan talks which were his own brain child.
"He has been talking like that for a long time...I did exactly as he requested and we agreed to form a joint team to carry out negotiations on the contentious issues (but) as soon as the temperatures cooled off, they backed out.
"So I don't believe that Mr Ruto is serious at all. He is double speak, one side when it suits him he talks very nicely and says I'm ready for talks any time," Raila said during the virtual interview.
The opposition chief denied claims that he wants dialogue to negotiate for power sharing saying Ruto is living in denial that the country is facing a crisis that requires serious approach and address.
A handshake, he affirmed, is not on the cards.