Nairobi, Kenya| Veteran Kenyan politician and former Lugari Member of Parliament, Cyrus Shakhalaga Khwa Jirongo, has died at the age of 64 following a fatal road accident early this morning.
The accident occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. in the Karai area along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru Highway in Naivasha, Nakuru County.
According to police reports, Jirongo was driving alone in his Mercedes-Benz (registration KCZ 305C), reportedly heading from Nakuru towards Nairobi or to his rural home in Lugari, Kakamega County, when his vehicle veered into the opposite lane and collided head-on with an oncoming MAN truck belonging to Climax Coach company.
News of Jirongo’s passing sent shockwaves across Kenya’s political landscape, with tributes pouring in from leaders across the divide.
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka described him as “one of our greatest sons,” adding, “Death has robbed us of a towering figure. Rest in peace, Honourable Cyrus Jirongo.”
COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, who had previous legal disputes with Jirongo over debts, mourned him as “an asset to our community and Kenya,” saying, “We loved him, but God loved him more. May your soul rest in eternal peace.”
Other leaders, including Acting ODM leader Oburu Oginga and Kitutu Chache North MP Japheth Nyakundi, extended condolences to the family and the people of Lugari.
A Political Powerhouse: The Rise of Cyrus Jirongo
Born on March 21, 1961, in Lugari, Kakamega County, Cyrus Jirongo attended Mang’u High School from 1978 to 1981. He burst onto the national scene not through a traditional professional career but through exceptional political organizing prowess.
Before elective politics, Jirongo chaired AFC Leopards Football Club in 1991, boosting his public profile. In the 1990s, he ventured into real estate, agriculture, and other businesses, famously claiming billionaire status at a young age.
Elected Lugari MP in 1997, he served until 2002, when President Moi appointed him Minister for Rural Development in the final months of the KANU government.
Though he lost his seat in the 2002 elections amid KANU’s defeat, Jirongo staged a comeback in 2007 under his own party, the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (later evolving into the United Democratic Party – UDP). He was the party’s sole MP from 2008 to 2013.
Jirongo eyed higher office multiple times: expressing presidential interest in 2013 (ultimately running unsuccessfully for Kakamega Senate while backing Raila Odinga), and contesting the presidency in 2017 under UDP, garnering a modest share of votes.
His party later joined the Azimio la Umoja coalition for the 2022 elections, after which he congratulated President William Ruto on his victory.
Challenges and Personal Life
Jirongo’s later years were marked by financial difficulties. From the mid-2000s, mounting debts from bank loans and private lenders led to court battles.
In 2017, the High Court declared him bankrupt over unpaid loans worth hundreds of millions of shillings. Properties linked to his companies faced receivership or auction, including disputes with figures like Francis Atwoli.
Polygamous with wives from diverse communities (including Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Kamba, and Maasai), Jirongo had a large family with several children.
In 2025, he endured personal tragedy with the death of his daughter, Lorraine Elizabeth Khalamwa Jelagat, after a short illness.
Jirongo remained a colorful, outspoken figure in Kenyan politics – a youth mobilizer, strategist, and power broker whose legacy spans the multiparty transition, youth empowerment advocacy, and enduring influence in Western Kenya.
His sudden death underscores the perils of Kenya’s roads, even as it closes a chapter on one of the nation’s most enigmatic political journeys. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
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