By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 13 December 2025 - Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo is dead, Rift Valley Traffic Enforcement Officer Sarah Chumo has confirmed.
She stated that Jirongo died in a road crash on the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway early on Saturday.
Former presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame also confirmed.
Kigame said Jirongo perished in an early Sunday crash in Naivasha.
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news of the passing on of Hon. Cyrus Jirongo following a fatal road accident this morning in Naivasha," Kigame posted on his X page.
He said he was in company of other people along that particular road the same time and they saw the wreck as they drove past there.
At first, they did not know Jirongo was the one involved.
"May God comfort his family and friends," he added.
The Orange Democratic Movement Communications Director Philip Etale expressed his disbelief over the loss, terming Jirongo as a friend.
"Oh no. My friend Cyrus Jirongo. Terrible. Terrible. Terrible," Etale said.
Jirongo rose to fame during the YK-92 which was the Kenya African National Alliance (Kanu) youth wing under Kenya's second president Daniel Toroitich arap Moi.
He was a close ally of President William Ruto, politically, at that time.
Jirongo died at the age of 64.
He was killed when his vehicle collided head‑on with a passenger bus near Karai, Naivasha. Police say he was alone in the car and was pronounced dead at the scene before he could be taken to hospital.
Bus driver Tiras Kamau Githinji, 52, said he was on his way with passengers from Nairobi and saw a man in a Mercedes Benz driving from a petrol station on his way to the Nairobi direction.
"There were a lot of vehicles on his side and he started overtaking," Mr Githinji narrated.
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He said he tried his best, but the man in the car came head-on and left with limited choice, did his best to save his over 60 passengers.
At first he did not know that it was Jirongo who was in the car.
The sudden and tragic end to Jirongo’s life has drawn widespread reaction across the political spectrum, prompting reflections not only on the circumstances of his death but also on the arc of a career that began in fiery youth mobilisation and spanned more than three decades.
Jirongo rose to national prominence in the early 1990s as the leader of the Youth for KANU ’92 (YK92) movement, a group formed to rally support for the then‑ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) ahead of the watershed 1992 multi‑party elections.
At a time when Kenya was navigating the transition to multi‑party democracy, YK92 became one of the most energetic and controversial campaign forces in the country’s history, energising youth involvement in politics and backing President Daniel arap Moi’s re‑election bid with fervour. Through YK92, Jirongo, then a youthful and charismatic organiser, became a household name, wielding influence that belied his age.
The movement was known as much for its robust mobilising tactics as for its lavish campaign style.
Its activities generated both admiration and critique; critics accused it of operating with impunity and of engaging in practices that blurred the lines between enthusiastic political support and manipulation. Jirongo’s leadership of YK92 secured him a place at the centre of Kenya’s political stage and positioned him among emerging leaders of the era, including figures who would go on to occupy the highest offices in the land.
He was a close ally of President William Ruto (the current president), politically, at that time.
From YK92, Jirongo transitioned into elective politics, winning the Lugari parliamentary seat in 1997 and later serving briefly as Minister for Rural Development in the final months of Moi’s presidency. Though his relationship with KANU later became strained amid political realignments, he returned to Parliament in 2007 under a different banner and remained an active voice in national debates, often courting controversy with his outspoken views and bold manoeuvres.
His political ambitions extended beyond parliament; he made bids for higher office and pursued leadership roles that reflected his belief in his own capacity to shape national agendas. Though some of these bids did not succeed, his presence was felt across Kenya’s electoral cycles, particularly as he sought to rally support among voters in Western Kenya and beyond.
Jirongo’s life and career were inseparable from the legacy of YK92, and the name of the movement remained a defining part of his identity long after its heyday. It was a precursor to the influential role he played in later years, and a symbol of a generation of politicians who cut their teeth in the often‑tumultuous environment of Kenya’s evolving democratic politics.
Yet alongside his political achievements, Jirongo’s career was marked by financial and legal controversies that dogged him in later life, as well as debates about the ethics and impact of the methods used by YK92 during its peak. His detractors often pointed to the excesses of the early 1990s as emblematic of the challenges that have sometimes plagued Kenyan political mobilisation.
The fatal crash that claimed Jirongo’s life brings into sharp focus the persistent issue of road safety in Kenya, where major highways remain scenes of frequent and often deadly accidents. The Nairobi–Nakuru Highway is one of the country’s busiest transport corridors, and overnight travel along it has been linked to numerous collisions, prompting calls for enhanced enforcement of traffic regulations and improvements to road infrastructure.
As investigations into the specific causes of Saturday’s collision continue, political leaders, former colleagues, and ordinary citizens alike have paused to reflect on Jirongo’s legacy. For many, the news of his death is a stark reminder of both the fragility of life and the enduring imprint of figures who have helped shape Kenya’s political landscape.
Jirongo will be remembered as a charismatic and ambitious leader whose early role in YK92 launched him into national prominence, and whose career encapsulated both the promise and the complexity of Kenya’s democratic journey.
