Former Kenyan lawmaker and cabinet minister Cyrus Jirongo died early Saturday in a head-on collision on the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, police said.
The 64-year-old politician was driving alone when his Mercedes-Benz crashed into an oncoming vehicle around 3 a.m. near Karai in Naivasha, according to Rift Valley regional traffic officer Sarah Chumo. Jirongo was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends and relatives said he was heading to his rural home in Lugari, Kakamega County. Police are investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred on a stretch of road notorious for deadly accidents.
A Colorful Political Career
Jirongo rose to prominence in the early 1990s as a leader of Youth for KANU ’92, a pro-government group that helped then-President Daniel arap Moi win Kenya’s first multiparty elections. The campaign made him a wealthy and influential figure at a young age.
He was elected to Parliament representing Lugari in 1997 and served until 2002, when Moi briefly appointed him minister for rural development. Jirongo returned to Parliament from 2007 to 2013 after founding his own parties.
In 2017, he ran for president on the United Democratic Party ticket but received less than 1% of the vote. In recent years, he became known for commentary on social media and YouTube.
Tributes Pour In
Leaders from across Kenya’s political divide mourned Jirongo’s death.
Bungoma Gov. Kenneth Lusaka called him “one of our greatest sons.” Trade union leader Francis Atwoli described him as “an asset to our community and Kenya.”
Deadly Highway Claims Another Life
The Nairobi-Nakuru Highway is one of Kenya’s busiest and most dangerous routes, with heavy truck traffic, poor lighting in sections and frequent lane violations contributing to accidents.
Kenyan roads see thousands of fatalities each year, prompting ongoing calls for infrastructure upgrades and stricter enforcement.
Jirongo’s death adds to the toll on a highway that has seen multiple high-profile crashes in recent months. Authorities said his body was taken to a morgue pending arrangements.
