Labour Party banks on outreach to win Mt Kenya ahead of 2027

 

The National Labour Party (NLP) during an outreach rally in Tharaka Nithi County. [Daniel Kariuki, Standard]

The National Labour Party (NLP) is now banking on outreach rallies in a move aimed at winning the Mt Kenya region ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The party over the weekend intensified its political outreach mission with a major rally in Tharaka Nithi, signalling its growing confidence as it positions itself for the 2027 elections.

The caravan, led by National Organising Secretary Jemima Katheeku, drew residents along its route and underscored NLP’s expanding activity across Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties.

Katheeku said the party’s message was resonating with ordinary voters who want political organisations that speak directly to their needs.

This comes as political analysts say the growing interest mirrors the broader ambitions of NLP leader Augustus Kyalo Muli, who is working to position the party as a significant force in Eastern Kenya’s politics.

Commentators have contrasted Muli’s early mobilisation with past missteps, including Raila Odinga’s delayed alignment with former President Mwai Kibaki in the early 2000s, a strategy often cited as coming too late to shape the region’s political currents.

“Muli is entering the region early, deliberately and with a clear plan. Even if he doesn’t dominate Mount Kenya, this groundwork gives NLP bargaining power heading into 2027,” said Katheeku.

She said earlier this year, Muli received blessings from the Agikuyu Council of Elders to engage the broader GEMA community, a move party insiders say strengthened his legitimacy as he makes inroads in the region.

 NLP officials describe the reception so far as encouraging and reflective of voters’ openness to alternative political formations.

Beyond Mt Kenya, the party continues to consolidate its support in the Ukambani region, where it says it has registered more than 200,000 members, including 130,000 in Kitui County.

This grassroots base, Katheeku said provides the organisational backbone for the party’s national ambitions.

She said the party fielded candidates in the recent Ugunja and Ugenya by-elections, an effort viewed as a strategic step toward testing its strength outside its strongholds.

Although the results were modest, the decision to contest was widely interpreted as part of the party’s broader bid to build a national presence ahead of 2027.

As NLP expands its activities across multiple regions, Katheeku said the party is preparing for meaningful participation in the next political cycle.

 “We are not just building visibility, we are building capacity,” she said.