Veteran Kenyan politician and former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Shakhalaga Jirongo has died in a tragic road accident along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway early on Saturday morning.
According to Rift Valley Traffic Enforcement officer Sarah Chumo, the 64-year-old lawmaker was involved in a head-on collision with a Climax Coach bus near Karai, Naivasha, Nakuru County, at approximately 3:00 am. He died at the scene of the crash.
Friends and relatives said Jirongo was driving himself to his rural home in Lugari, Kakamega County, after meeting with a group of Western Kenya leaders in Karen, Nairobi late Friday night. He was alone in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Police said preliminary investigations indicate that Jirongo’s vehicle veered out of its lane into the path of the oncoming bus, resulting in the fatal collision. Both vehicles were severely damaged, and emergency responders pronounced him dead before he could be evacuated.
His body was moved to a local mortuary in Naivasha, with arrangements underway to transfer it to Nairobi as family and close associates gathered at the scene.
Tributes Pour In
News of Jirongo’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from political leaders and colleagues across Kenya. Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli mourned him as “an asset to our community and to Kenya”, adding: “We loved him, but God loved him more.”
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka described his passing as the loss of “one of our greatest sons.” Other leaders, including National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula and Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, highlighted Jirongo’s impact on the political landscape, particularly his role as a youth mobilizer in the early 1990s.
A Storied Political Career
Born on 21 March 1961, Jirongo first rose to national prominence as the leader of Youth for KANU ’92 (YK’92) — a powerful political lobby group that mobilized support for the late President Daniel arap Moi during Kenya’s first multiparty elections.
He was first elected Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency in 1997 and later served as Minister for Rural Development under President Moi. Jirongo returned to Parliament in 2007 and continued to be a visible political figure.
In subsequent years, Jirongo made several bids for elective office, including an unsuccessful run for Kakamega Governor in 2022, and was involved in various political movements and business ventures.
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