National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has recounted his final interaction with veteran politician and businessman Cyrus Jirongo, a few hours before the fatal accident that led to his death.
Speaking in Mazeras, Kilifi County, Wetang’ula narrated how the two met shortly after the conclusion of Jamhuri Day celebrations, unaware that it would be their last encounter.
He said the meeting was at the request of Jirongo and it lasted an hour, in Karen, Nairobi.
The Speaker said he excused himself to go and rest, and he was scheduled to attend the funeral of nominated MP Denar Hamisi in Mazeras, only to wake up to reports that Jirongo was no more.
“Yesterday we concluded the Jamhuri Day celebrations. A prominent politician called Cyrus Jirongo phoned me and said, ‘Papa, I want us to meet.’ I sat with him from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm, then I left. I told him I was going to rest because the next day I was travelling to Mazeras.
“This morning, I woke up, opened my phone and saw messages saying, ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry, Jirongo has died.’ And that is the reality of human life. Today you are here, tomorrow you are gone, and that is the secret God has kept from human beings,” Wetang’ula said.
He, however, did not disclose the details of the conversation he held with Jirongo.
Jirongo passed away in a road accident on Saturday morning, at around 3 am, along the Nairobi- Nakuru Highway.
The 64-year-old met his tragic end when his car collided with a passenger bus, according to reports.
According to the police report, Jirongo was driving from the Nakuru direction heading towards the Nairobi direction before colliding head-on with a passenger bus.
His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the political divide, with many leaders describing him as a bold, influential and outspoken figure in Kenyan politics.
Cyrus Jirongo rose to national prominence in the 1990s and 2000s, serving as a Cabinet minister and later as a key political mobiliser, particularly in Western Kenya.
Over the years, he played a significant role in shaping political alliances and mentoring younger politicians, earning both admiration and controversy in equal measure.
