NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 9 — The National Labour Party (NLP) is making visible inroads in the Mount Kenya region, with a weekend rally in Tharaka drawing notable local turnout.The party’s National Organizing Secretary Jemima Katheeku led the NLP caravan drawing crowds, a pointer to the party’s growing activity in Embu, Meru, and Tharaka Nithi counties.The expansion reflects an ambitious drive by NLP Leader Dr. Augustus Kyalo Muli, who is positioning the outfit to play a more consequential role in Eastern Kenya’s politics. Earlier in the year, Muli received blessings from the Agikuyu Council of Elders to take his message to the Mount Kenya region and engage the wider GEMA community—an endorsement seen as a significant boost to his outreach efforts.Muli’s early and culturally grounded outreach in Mount Kenya is viewed as a strategic move that could give the NLP added leverage in the 2027 presidential race, independent of traditional alliances.The Tharaka rally adds to a string of recent activities suggesting the NLP is working to consolidate its foothold in Mount Kenya ahead of the next electoral cycle.Beyond Mount Kenya, the NLP maintains a strong base in the wider Ukambani region, with more than 200,000 registered members—130,000 of them in Kitui County. The party’s growing ambitions were also evident in the recent Ugunja and Ugenya by-elections, where it fielded candidates. With the move to contest outside its traditional strongholds, NLP sought to affirm its widening national posture and its intent to position itself as a serious contender in the 2027 presidential race.