By Omondi K’Oyoo.
The only thing that makes Kalonzo Musyoka interesting to the United Opposition is the two million Kamba vote. Strip that away, and suddenly Kalonzo’s political mystique looks far less formidable.
But what if that vote could be delivered by someone else?
Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson once quipped that a week in politics is a long time.
Kenya has many weeks before the next general election, and in that time, anything can happen. Just a few weeks ago, few would have imagined Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna being floated as a possible presidential candidate. Yet here we are.
This is why the name of Dr. Augustus Kyalo Muli, the Party Leader of the National Liberal Party (NLP), deserves more attention. His name is increasingly mentioned in the same breath as Kalonzo Musyoka in Ukambani.
Until recently, Muli was a relatively obscure figure outside his home village. That changed when he was nominated to represent Azimio la Umoja in the panel tasked with selecting commissioners for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Though his nomination was never gazetted, the controversy surrounding it catapulted him into national political conversations.
Ironically, the battle over the IEBC panel did more to elevate his profile than the appointment itself ever could.
So who exactly is Augustus Muli?
He is the leader of the National Liberal Party, a locally rooted outfit quietly building grassroots structures across the country.
He is also the Patron of the Anzauni clan, one of the largest in Ukambani, with nearly 400,000 members spread across Kitui, Machakos, and Makueni. Supporters claim the NLP has already crossed the milestone of one million registered members.
If those numbers translate into votes, the implications are enormous. Remember, the 2022 presidential contest was decided by a margin of just about 200,000 votes.
That razor‑thin difference shows how even a relatively small but organized bloc can tilt the scales of national politics.
