National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has recounted the final moments he spent with veteran politician and businessman Cyrus Jirongo, revealing that they held a lengthy discussion just hours before the accident that claimed Jirongo’s life.
Speaking after confirmation of Jirongo’s death, Wetang’ula said the two met on the evening of Jamhuri Day, describing the encounter as a normal conversation that only gained deep meaning after the tragic news broke.
According to the Speaker, Jirongo had personally reached out to him shortly after the national celebrations.
“After we concluded the Jamhuri Day events, Cyrus Jirongo called me and said, ‘Papa, I would like us to meet,’” Wetang’ula recalled.
He explained that they sat together from around 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, discussing various issues before parting ways.
“There was nothing unusual about the meeting. I later excused myself to go and rest because I was scheduled to travel to Mazeras the following day,” he said.
Wetang’ula noted that nothing during their conversation suggested it would be their final encounter.
The shocking reality only dawned on him the next morning.
“I woke up, checked my phone, and saw several messages saying, ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry—Jirongo has died,’” he said.
Cyrus Jirongo, a former Lugari MP and Cabinet minister, died in a road accident along the Nakuru–Naivasha Highway on Saturday morning. Police reports indicate that his vehicle collided head-on with a passenger bus while he was travelling towards Nairobi.
Reflecting on the loss, Wetang’ula spoke about the unpredictability of life, saying the sudden death was a painful reminder of human fragility.
“That is the reality of life. Today you are here, tomorrow you are gone. The mystery of death is something only God understands,” he said.
The Speaker described Jirongo as a seasoned political figure whose influence spanned decades, adding that his death marked the end of an important chapter in Kenya’s political history.
Jirongo rose to national prominence in 1992 as the leader of Youth for KANU ’92, a powerful mobilisation group that played a major role during Kenya’s first multiparty elections, making him one of the most influential young politicians of that era.
As family, friends, and political allies mourn his passing, funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.