Cyrus Jirongo, the controversial former Member of Parliament for Lugari and one-time Youth for KANU 92 leader, died early Friday morning in a fatal road accident along the Nakuru-Naivasha Highway.
The crash occurred at approximately 3:00 a.m. on December 13, 2025, at Karai area. According to police reports, Jirongo, 64, was driving a Mercedes Benz (registration KCZ 305C) from Nakuru toward Nairobi when he failed to keep to his lane and collided head-on with an oncoming MAN bus (registration KCU 576A) belonging to Climax Company and driven by Tiras Kamau Githinji, 52.
Jirongo sustained serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was taken to Naivasha Sub-County Morgue awaiting autopsy. Both vehicles were towed to the police station for inspection, and investigations are ongoing.
Born on March 21, 1961, Jirongo attended the prestigious Mang’u High School before becoming one of Kenya’s most recognizable political figures in the early 1990s. His rise to national prominence came in 1992 when he founded and led Youth for KANU 92, a powerful political lobby group that mobilized support for President Daniel arap Moi during Kenya’s first multiparty elections.
The young political operative quickly became known for his organizational skills and fundraising prowess, earning him influence far beyond his years. Before entering elective politics, he served as chairman of AFC Leopards Football Club in 1991, further raising his public profile.
Jirongo claimed to have become a billionaire in his youth through various business ventures in real estate and agriculture, though these claims would later be overshadowed by financial troubles.
In 1997, Jirongo won the Lugari Constituency parliamentary seat. His political career reached its peak in 2002 when President Moi appointed him Minister for Rural Development in the final KANU government.
He lost his seat in the 2002 general election but made a comeback in 2007 under his own party, the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU), serving as the party’s sole MP in Parliament from 2008 to 2013.
His presidential ambitions emerged in 2013, though he ultimately ran unsuccessfully for the Kakamega Senate seat instead. In 2017, he contested the presidency under the United Democratic Party but received minimal support. His party later joined the Azimio la Umoja coalition before the 2022 elections, after which he congratulated President William Ruto.
From the mid-2000s onward, Jirongo’s financial empire crumbled under mounting debts. Multiple court cases related to unpaid bank loans and private lenders resulted in judgments against him. In 2017, the High Court declared him bankrupt after he failed to repay loans amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.
Properties linked to companies he was associated with were placed under receivership or auctioned. Courts also ordered him to repay substantial sums to various creditors, including trade unionist Francis Atwoli.
Jirongo was polygamous with a large family, having publicly acknowledged wives from different communities. Earlier in 2025, he experienced personal tragedy with the death of one of his daughters following a short illness.
His death marks the end of a turbulent but influential chapter in Kenyan politics—a story of spectacular rise, crushing fall, and persistent resilience. From the heights of political power and claimed wealth to bankruptcy and legal battles, Jirongo remained a polarizing figure who left an indelible mark on Kenya’s political landscape.
The former MP’s body awaits autopsy at Naivasha Sub-County Morgue as investigations into the circumstances of the crash continue.
Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo Dies in Highway Crash
