Cyrus Jirongo

Cyrus Shakhalaga Khwa Jirongo (21 March 1961 – 13 December 2025) was a Kenyan politician and past government Minister for Rural Development from 12 March 2002 to 27 December 2002 in the Daniel Moi administration. He had previously served as Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency between 1997 and 2002 and between 2007 and 2013.

Between 1978 and 1981 he went to Mang'u High School.^[4]He became the chairman of AFC Leopards football club in 1991.^[5]

Jirongo was leader of the United Democratic Party.^[6]

In 1992 he led the Youth for Kanu '92 (YK '92) movement supporting the then ruling KANU party ahead of the first multiparty elections in Kenya.^[7][8]

Jirongo became an MP at the 1997 elections, when he won the Lugari Constituency seat. Two years later he fell out with KANU and was associated with the unregistered United Democratic Movement party.^[9] At the elections he represented KANU but was defeated by Enoch Kibunguchy of NARC.^[10]

Ahead of the 2002 elections, he was appointed the Rural Development Minister by President Daniel arap Moi.^[11]

Jirongo formed a new political party known as Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU) and successfully reclaimed the Lugari Constituency seat at the 2007 elections. The elections were followed by a political crisis in Kenya which was resolved by a broad coalition government. KADDU was the only parliamentary party excluded from the government and Jirongo was the sole MP for the party.^[12] In his bid to become Kenya's fourth president, he had been identified with the URP and more recently New FORD-Kenya, before formally joining the Federal Party of Kenya. ^[13][14][15]

Jirongo declared an interest in running for the Kenya Presidential seat in the 2013 Kenyan Presidential election. He eventually opted to run for the Kakamega County Senate seat and support the right Hon. Raila Odinga's bid for the presidency. He lost the bid to Dr. Bonny Khalwale.^[16]

In the 2017 Kenyan general elections Jirongo vied for the presidency under the United Democratic Party.^[8] He garnered 11,282 votes in August and only 3,832 in the October repeat election after the annulment of the first vote.^[17]

The United Democratic Party contested the 2022 Kenyan general election as part of Azimio La Umoja, and elected two MPs. Jirongo congratulated William Ruto on his victory.^[6]

Jirongo was polygamous and married more than 10 wives over the course of his life.^[8] Notably, four of them are widely recognized, with the marriage to the fourth having ended in divorce.^[18]The reported wives were: Christine Nyokabi Kimani, a Kikuyu; Anne Kanini, a Kamba; Anne Lanoi Pertet, a Maasai; and Joan Chemutai Kimeto, a Kalenjin, from whom he later divorced.

Jirongo died in a traffic collision in Naivasha, Kenya, on 13 December 2025, at the age of 64.^[17][19][8] His death was investigated due to complains from the Public, Close Friends and Family members as the driver's statement (No other witnesses from the sixty plus passangers who were in his bus) and CCTV Footage from the scene of accident contradicted. Burial scheduled for 30/12/2025.