Ababu Namwamba has castigated the US for pushing immediate and open national dialogue between President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga.
US President Donald Trump congratulated Uhuru and DP William Ruto on their inauguration ceremony but appealed for talks to heal widening rifts.
The super power is pushing for national dialogue so Kenya can heal after months of divisive politics that threatens to plunge the country into deeper political crisis.
“As part of the process of addressing these tensions and strengthening institutions, we urge Kenyans to join together to hold an immediate, sustained and open national conversation to heal divisions between communities,” US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said.
But Ababu, who is Council of Professionals of Kenya chair, on Monday termed the calls for dialogue as "insincere and mischievous".
The politician said the congratulatory message could have been channeled without recommending dialogue, arguing that the political contestation was settled after the October 26 polls and the swearing-in ceremony.
“The call by the US to steer Kenya towards a direction they do not prescribe for themselves is insincere and mischievous. Its call to dialogue in the midst of a settled political contestation is therefore disingenuous,” the former Budalang'i MP said.
“This is considering that a healing dialogue did not ensue following Trump's disputed November 2016 victory. The council takes great exception to this and condemns it with the weight of the inherent duplicity in the statement”.
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The calls came as Opposition chief Raila Odinga declared he too will be sworn-in as President on December 12.
Ababu said the ODM leader has declined to accept the finality of the presidential election yet electoral politics has ended.
“Kenya's 2017 electoral politics is done and dusted and the Council wishes to bring to the attention of the world that Raila is on the 2022 cycle while disguising it as pending issues from 2017,” he said.
“Like in a game of football, Kenya's 2017 election cycle has had its 90 minutes, extra-time and a penalty shootout with a decisive winner in the Jubilee team”.
British Prime Minister Theresa May, through British Minister for Africa Rory Stewart, also called on all Kenyans to recognise the significance of dialogue and healing.
Stewart, who attended Uhuru and Ruto's inauguration at Kasarani Stadium and the official luncheon at State House, said: “I hope all Kenyans will recognise the need for national dialogue and healing."