Former Lugari Member of Parliament and political strategist Cyrus Jirongo has died following a road accident in Nakuru County.
Jirongo was killed in a crash early on Saturday morning along the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway. Police said the accident occurred at about 3.00 am in the Karai area of Naivasha when his vehicle collided head-on with a bus.
Rift Valley Traffic Enforcement Officer Sarah Chumo confirmed the incident, noting that Jirongo was alone in his car at the time.
According to the traffic boss, Jirongo was heading to Nairobi when his Mercedes-Benz collided head-on with a bus traveling in the opposite direction.
The politician sustained serious head injuries, resulting in his instant death, according to police.
“The accident occurred today, 13/12/2025, at about 03:00 hrs in the Karai area along the Nakuru–Naivasha highway. Cyrus Jirongo, aged 64, was driving motor vehicle registration No. KCZ 305C, a Mercedes-Benz, from Nakuru toward Nairobi. Upon reaching the location of the accident, he failed to keep to his lane and collided head-on with the oncoming motor vehicle registration No. KCU 576A, belonging to Climax Company and driven by Tiras Kamau Githinji, aged 52. As a result of the accident, the driver of KCZ 305C sustained serious head injuries and died on the spot,” the police report read.
The body was moved to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, while the vehicles were towed to the Naivasha Police Station. No other fatalities were reported from the accident.
Born on March 21, 1961, Jirongo rose to national attention at a young age, building a reputation as a shrewd political organiser rather than through a conventional professional career.
He studied at Mang’u High School between 1978 and 1981.
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His political profile grew sharply in the early 1990s when he emerged as the leader of Youth for KANU ’92, a powerful lobby group formed to back the late President Daniel arap Moi during Kenya’s first multiparty elections in 1992.
The organisation played a key role in mobilisation and fundraising, propelling Jirongo into the ranks of the country’s most influential young political figures of that era.
Jirongo entered Parliament in the 1997 general election after winning the Lugari Constituency seat. He served one term until 2002, before reclaiming the seat in the 2007 elections and serving again until 2013.
In government, he briefly held the position of Minister for Rural Development, serving from March 12, 2002, until December 27 the same year under President Moi.
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include additional details from the police.
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