Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo is set to be buried at his Lumakanda residence on Tuesday, December 30th, as the region prepares to bid a final farewell to one of its most iconic political faces.
These arrangements were confirmed on Sunday after a consultative meeting of family members and key allies. A committee of funeral arrangements led by former MP for the area Fred Gumo addressed the press after the meeting, stating that the family had reached an agreement of conducting a home funeral that represented Jirongo’s heritage.
While addressing the press on behalf of the committee, senator Boni Khalwale announced that the politician will be buried in his family’s homestead in Lumakanda together with his parents.
“We are family members and friends who have come together to arrange for the funeral of our brother,” says Khalwale. “We have tentatively agreed that he would be buried on the 30th of December, at his home in Lumakanda, by the side of his father and mother.”
Jirongo died in a road accident in the early hours of Saturday, December 13, as he journeyed to his rural home in Lugari. He was involved in a head-on collision with a Climax Coach bus on the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway, so reports the police.
Naivasha DCIO, Isaac Kiama, confirmed the incident and revealed that the former legislator died instantly at about 3:00 a.m., causing shock to spread through political and business circles, where the voice of Jirongo had become a regular feature.
A seasoned politician and businessman, Jirongo is a former member of Parliament for Lugari as well as a former member of the cabinet, gaining fame for being a fearless mobilizer as well as someone who is never reluctant to speak out. Even after quitting elective politics, he remained engaged with the political debate, coaching the next generation of leaders.
As the family prepares to bid their final farewells, tributes continue to flood in from around the country, in recognition of the influence he inspired in his colleagues, supporters, and the communities that elected him. It signals the end of an era for many in Lumakanda/Lugari, who lose not only their MP but a leader who was present in their lives.
