NLP steps up drive to penetrate Mt Kenya as 2027 race takes shape

The National Liberal Party (NLP) leader Augustus Muli during a popularization rally/HANDOUT

The National Liberal Party (NLP) has intensified its push to gain a foothold in the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The party is implementing an ambitious strategy to transform itself from a regional outfit into a national political force.

Over the weekend, the party held a popularisation rally in Tharaka, drawing a significant local turnout as residents lined up along the route to welcome the caravan.

The event was led by party leader Augustus Muli and National Organising Secretary Jemima Katheeku, who have been spearheading NLP’s recent expansion activities across Embu, Meru, and Tharaka Nithi counties.

Muli has spent months building alliances, holding consultative forums, and courting influential leaders in the region.

Earlier this year, he received blessings from the Agikuyu Council of Elders, a move seen as symbolic but significant in easing the party’s entry into the culturally influential GEMA community.

The Tharaka rally adds to a string of activities signalling the party’s commitment to consolidating its presence in Mt Kenya, a region that remains one of the most politically competitive and voter-rich blocs in the country.

Traditionally rooted in the lower Eastern region, NLP has built a strong base in Ukambani, boasting more than 200,000 registered members, including an estimated 130,000 from Kitui County alone.

Once viewed as a regional movement, NLP is rebranding itself as a national contender by expanding its grassroots networks, recruiting new members, and preparing to field candidates in counties where it previously had little presence.

Muli says the expansion is a response to changing political dynamics and the need to engage voter-rich regions ahead of 2027.

“The move is driven by changing political dynamics and the need to tap into larger voter-rich regions. Mt Kenya, with its significant electoral weight, has become a central focus of NLP’s expansion strategy,” Muli said during the rally.

The party has been holding community engagement forums and meeting local leaders in an effort to appeal to youth, small business owners, farmers, and other groups that have grown increasingly frustrated with mainstream political formations.

NLP’s messaging on economic reform, youth empowerment, and transparent governance is designed to resonate across Mt Kenya and beyond.

Beyond the region, the party is also eyeing urban centres such as Nairobi, Nakuru, and other emerging political battlegrounds.

NLP’s ambitions were also evident in the recent Ugunja and Ugenya by-elections, where the party fielded candidates despite having limited presence in those constituencies.

While the results were modest, the decision to contest outside its traditional areas was widely interpreted as a sign of the party’s intention to build a countrywide footprint.