Questions and conspiracies abound following fatal Cyrus Jirongo accident

Fresh doubts have emerged over the final movements of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, even as police insist he died in a road accident on the Nakuru–Naivasha Highway.

The funeral committee, led by former Westlands MP Fred Gumo with the support of George Khaniri, is pressing investigators for a clearer reconstruction of Jirongo’s last hours. The committee says the family is struggling to align the official account with Jirongo’s stated travel plans that night.

“We are demanding answers. The family wants answers,” Gumo said.
“He was travelling from Karen to his home in Gigiri. How did he end up in Naivasha?”

A Journey That Doesn’t Add Up

Gumo explained that Jirongo had left Karen intending to return to his Gigiri residence, a relatively short trip within Nairobi. The family has questioned how he ended up several kilometres outside the city on a major highway in the early hours of the morning.

The committee has called on police to fully reconstruct his movements, including reviewing CCTV footage along his route.

“Only the police can establish what happened,” Gumo said. “They should check CCTV cameras, even along the highway, and tell us what happened because we want answers.”

Wetang’ula Confirms Last Public Meeting

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has confirmed that he met Jirongo earlier that evening at a restaurant in Karen during Jamhuri Day celebrations.

Wetang’ula said they spoke between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, describing the meeting as a routine interaction between long-time political associates, with nothing unusual to suggest it would be their last encounter.

“I told him I was going to rest because the next day I was travelling,” Wetang’ula said.

He added that he only learnt of Jirongo’s death the following morning after seeing messages on his phone.

Police Account of the Crash

According to a report filed at Naivasha Police Station, Jirongo died at about 3am after his Mercedes-Benz was involved in a head-on collision with a passenger bus on the Nakuru–Naivasha Highway.

Police say Jirongo was driving from Nakuru towards Nairobi when his vehicle failed to keep its lane and collided with an oncoming Climax Coaches bus travelling from Nairobi to Busia. The bus was carrying 65 passengers at the time.

Jirongo, 64, sustained fatal head injuries and died at the scene.

Sonko Backs Bus Driver

Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has come out in defence of the bus driver, identified as 52-year-old Tirus Kamau Githinji.

Sonko said the driver acted to protect his passengers and should not be blamed for the crash, noting that the law shields drivers who make split-second decisions in emergency situations.

“I stand with that driver because he acted to save 65 passengers,” Sonko said.

Pledge of Legal Support

Sonko further claimed that Jirongo’s vehicle failed to give way and pledged to offer legal assistance to the driver should he be arrested.

“That particular driver, I will be the first one to bail him out,” he said.