Political Leaders Mourn Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo
Former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo has died in a road accident on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
He was 64. Jirongo’s vehicle collided with a passenger bus in the early hours of Saturday morning, around 3 am. Tributes have poured in from across the political spectrum. National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula described him as a trailblazer whose entry into politics in the 1990s left a lasting mark.
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah called the death a “profound national loss,” while COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli remembered Jirongo as “an asset to our community and Kenya.” Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, deeply shaken by the news, referred to Jirongo as a personal friend, and former presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame expressed the painful realisation that he had unknowingly passed the accident scene in Naivasha.
From the Moi family, KANU chairman Gideon Moi paid a personal tribute, recalling Jirongo’s humour, loyalty, and boldness. “He was energetic, fearless, and unapologetic about his views,” Moi said, noting his role during the final years of KANU’s dominance.
ODM leader Oburu Odinga and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka also issued statements of condolence, with Musyoka describing Jirongo as “a bold and charismatic leader who never shied away from challenging convention.”
Jirongo’s political career was characterised by boldness and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
His contributions to Kenya’s political discourse were recognised across party lines, with Saboti MP Caleb Amisi even cancelling his birthday celebrations in his honour, calling him “an astute politician who spoke uncomfortable truths.”
Born on 21 March 1961 in what was then Kenya Colony, Jirongo gained prominence in the early 1990s as the youthful leader of Youth for KANU ’92 (YK ’92), a key group in President Daniel arap Moi’s re-election campaign. His visibility in that campaign marked the beginning of a political career that saw him elected to Parliament for Lugari in 1997.
He served until 2002, later returning in 2007 under the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU). His political affiliations shifted from KANU to the United Democratic Movement, and later to the United Democratic Party (UDP), under which he ran for president in 2017.
Though his presidential bid garnered only 11,000 votes, 0.07% of the total, his ambition to influence Kenya’s political direction remained clear. In addition to his political career, Jirongo was known for his outspoken views on family life, particularly his defence of polygamy, which he described as central to his cultural identity.
