Former Lugari Member of Parliament (MP) Cyrus Jirongo has died following a tragic road accident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday, December 13, 2025.

According to preliminary reports, the accident happened at around 3:00 a.m. along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway as Jirongo was driving himself to his rural home in Lugari.

The former presidential aspirant’s vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with a Climax Coach bus under circumstances that are still under investigation.

Lugari MP Nabii Nabwera and Bungoma County governor Ken Lusaka are among the leaders who have mourned Jirongo, with Lusaka describing him as one of the Luhya nation’s greatest sons.

“Death has robbed us one of our greatest sons. Rest in peace, Hon. Cyrus Jirongo,” Lusaka wrote on X.

“What is Life !!! Rest well my friend and constituent Hon.Cyrus Shakhalaga Khwa Jirongo!” Nabii Nabwera wrote on Facebook.

COTU boss Francis Atwoli has also mourned Jirongo.

“This morning, with a lot of shock and sadness, I have learnt of the passing on of Cyrus Jirongo who was an asset to our community and Kenya. We loved him but God loved him more. May your soul rest in peace!” Atwoli wrote on X.

Jirongo, a prominent businessman and politician, served as Lugari MP and remained an influential figure in national politics for decades. He was widely known for his outspoken views and active engagement in public affairs even after leaving elective office.

Cyrus Jirongo’s biography

Cyrus Shakhalaga Khwa Jirongo was born on March 21, 1961.

He attended Mang’u High School between 1978 and 1981. He became widely known at a young age for his political organizing skills rather than for a formal professional background.

Jirongo rose to national prominence in 1992 as the leader of Youth for KANU 92, a powerful political lobby group formed to support President Daniel arap Moi during Kenya’s first multiparty elections. The group played a major role in mobilization and fundraising and made Jirongo one of the most influential young political figures of the early 1990s.

Before holding elective office, Jirongo served as chairman of AFC Leopards Football Club in 1991. This role helped raise his public profile beyond politics. During the 1990s, Jirongo was associated with several business ventures, particularly in real estate and agriculture.

He publicly claimed to have become a billionaire at a young age. Over time, however, many of these ventures became heavily indebted, leading to prolonged legal and financial disputes. In 1997, Jirongo was elected Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency.

In 2002, President Moi appointed him Minister for Rural Development in the final KANU government. He lost his parliamentary seat in the 2002 general election but regained it in 2007 under his own party, the Kenya African Democratic Development Union.

Between 2008 and 2013, he was the only Member of Parliament from that party. In 2013, Jirongo expressed interest in the presidency but eventually ran unsuccessfully for the Kakamega Senate seat. He supported Raila Odinga in the presidential race.

In 2017, he contested the presidency under the United Democratic Party but received a very small share of the national vote. His party later joined the Azimio la Umoja coalition ahead of the 2022 elections. After the election, he publicly congratulated President William Ruto.

From the mid-2000s onward, Jirongo faced mounting debts linked to bank loans and private lenders. Several courts ruled against him in loan recovery cases. In 2017, the High Court declared him bankrupt after failing to repay loans amounting to hundreds of millions of shillings.

Properties linked to companies associated with him were placed under receivership or auctioned. Courts also ordered him to repay large sums to individuals, including trade unionist Francis Atwoli. Jirongo is polygamous and has a large family.

He has spoken publicly about having wives from different communities. In 2025, he suffered personal tragedy following the death of one of his daughters after a short illness.