As debate continues over the source of the late Cyrus Jirongo’s wealth, friends of the former Lugari MP have stepped forward to counter claims that politics played a role in building his fortune, saying his business success came much earlier in life.
In recent weeks, discussion around Jirongo’s estate has dominated public space, with reports suggesting that his wealth was tied to political power and links to the late President Daniel Moi’s government.
Some accounts went as far as claiming that a financial institution collapsed after lending him large sums that were allegedly never repaid.
Those close to Jirongo dismissed the claims during his requiem mass held in Nairobi on Saturday, December 27, describing the narrative as misleading and harmful to his legacy.
Among those who spoke was Fred Amayo, a close friend and former associate of Jirongo during their time in the Youth for KANU ’92 lobby group. Amayo said Jirongo was already firmly established in business before politics entered his life.
Amayo explained that Jirongo’s business activities were visible and ongoing long before the formation of YK92, insisting that public office did not contribute to his wealth.
According to Amayo, politics brought more challenges than benefits to Jirongo.
“According to Amayo, politics did Jirongo more harm.
"I would like to put it here today, in broad daylight. By the time I met Jirongo before we started YK92, when he was just in his late 20s, going to 30s, he had already built Hazina Estate. He was building Kemri Estate. We were on site in Saika Estate. This getting into politics is what has caused Jirongo all these waves right through his life," he said.”
He said stories questioning how Jirongo acquired his wealth were false and driven by an attempt to damage his public image.
Amayo added that Jirongo gave far more to politics than he ever gained from it, including through his role as an elected leader.
“Jirongo was already a successful man before he got into politics. And those who are propagating these stories that he made his money from politics, I know for a fact that when Jirongo was a member of parliament, he never even spent a shilling out of his salary as MP. It used to go to the people of Lugari,” he added.
Former Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia echoed Amayo’s remarks, saying politics stripped Jirongo of the wealth he had built through years of business work.
Kisia said Jirongo’s political career did not result in personal financial gain.
“He was an astute businessman. He had made millions of shillings before joining politics. If you ask me, I think politics destroyed my brother Cyrus. Cyrus made no money from politics. But rather he lost. So, and thank you, my brother Amayo, for making that clarification,” Kisia said.
Friends said that long before Jirongo became a familiar name in Kenya’s political scene, he had already laid down a firm business base that sustained him for years.
The former Lugari MP died on December 13, 2025, after a fatal road accident along the Nairobi–Nakuru highway.
