Most people struggle to pick one career and stick with it. Alphonsious Machogu Nyasetia, popularly known as Alphamatone, seems to have looked at the career menu and said, Why choose one?

From enforcing the law to entertaining the masses and now hoping to help make the laws, he has taken a rather interesting route to the political stage. And while the three careers may look like strange bedfellows, he insists there is a method to his madness.

For him, it has never been about constantly changing lanes. It has been about growth, service and finding new ways to connect with people.

“The most authentic version of Alphamatone is a leader who understands people, listens to their challenges and works towards practical solutions,” he says.

His years in the police service gave him a front-row seat to the everyday realities of Kenyans. Away from political manifestos and campaign slogans, he encountered people dealing with poverty, unemployment, insecurity and the never-ending hustle of making ends meet.

The experience, he says, taught him discipline, responsibility and what public service really means.

It also gave him something that could prove useful in politics: an understanding of people when the cameras are not rolling. ‘I joined the music industry at a time when no one thought the police could entertain the masses. Officers are a representation of the society and though there were not many of us, I took it and ran with it.’

Alphamatone says his own humble beginnings make those experiences even more personal. He wasn’t born into wealth or handed a ready-made life. That background, he argues, is part of what drives his desire to represent the people of Nyaribari Masaba.

Then came the plot twist. The policeman discovered the creative in him and stepped into the entertainment world.

If the police service was about rules, discipline and structure, music was a different kind of battlefield. Here, rejection comes without warning, competition is fierce and talent alone does not guarantee a seat at the table.

Alphamatone says the creative industry taught him one important lesson: keep going.

There were disappointments, competition and moments when things did not move as quickly as he wanted. But instead of throwing in the towel, he learnt to remain consistent, improve his craft and keep showing up.

The microphone also taught him how to communicate, work with different personalities and connect with audiences.

And apparently, those skills have now been packed into his political suitcase.

Now comes the biggest plot twist yet.

Alphamatone wants to trade the stage for the political arena and is eyeing a parliamentary seat in Nyaribari Masaba.

He insists this isn’t simply a celebrity deciding that politics looks like the next cool thing to try.

He says politics became a natural progression after realising that many of the problems facing his community require representation, policy and practical leadership.

His political mentor, veteran politician Professor Sam Ongeri, has also played a role in shaping his thinking.

But Alphamatone knows that being recognised is not the same thing as being trusted.

“Fame may introduce you to people, but trust must be earned through character, consistency and service,” he says.

That distinction will probably become his biggest test.

His pitch to voters revolves around three big ideas: development, social progress, and technology and innovation.

He talks of exploring a major solar energy project for Nyaribari Masaba, expanding education opportunities and creating more avenues for young people to benefit from technology and entrepreneurship.

He points to a digital hub at Mogweko Secondary School as an example of the kind of technology-driven opportunities he wants to expand.

For someone who has already lived three professional lives, the technology angle perhaps fits perfectly.

But politics comes with something even the entertainment industry can struggle to prepare you for. Scrutiny.

Alphamatone says he is ready for the social-media roasting, questions about his past, financial scrutiny and criticism that comes with elective politics.

He also knows that voters are not obliged to hand him a parliamentary seat simply because they know his name.

He promises that if elected, he wants his record, not his celebrity status, to do the talking.

He says he wants to be remembered as a leader who listened, delivered and stayed connected to the people.

And if voters decide that Parliament isn’t his next destination? ‘I like connecting with the youth and I can clearly say that it’s one of my strengths to date. Police, just like politicians, are human beings and we have our creative side. That is how I want to be accommodated.’

Well, considering his CV so far, betting on Alphamatone returning to the microphone or cooking up yet another chapter might not be the craziest prediction.