Former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Shakhalaga Jirongo has died in a road accident on the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway. 

The crash occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning when Jirongo’s Mercedes Benz collided head-on with a bus. He succumbed to fatal head injuries and was confirmed dead at the scene.

Jirongo, who was a key figure in Kenya's politics, rose to prominence in 1992 as the chairman of the Youth for Kanu '92 movement, a group known for its aggressive campaigning in support of President Daniel arap Moi’s re-election. He served as Lugari MP for two terms, from 1997 to 2002 under Kanu, and again from 2007 to 2013 under the Kenya African Democratic Development Union. 

Jirongo also held the position of Minister for Rural Development during the final months of Moi’s presidency. His later years in politics were marked by shifting alliances, as he aligned with smaller parties, including the United Democratic Party and the Federal Party of Kenya. 

Jirongo’s presidential run in 2017 was unsuccessful, securing just over 11,000 votes in the first election and fewer than 4,000 in the repeat poll following the Supreme Court’s annulment of the results.