Cyrus Jirongo during an interview at his Mayfair Suites offices in Nairobi on October 28, 2021.
Apart from Mwai Kibaki, one of the most prominent politicians minted by Mangu High School was Cyrus Jirongo. He was barely in his 30s when he was thrust into the country’s political arena.
Jirongo started as the chairman of the Youth for Kanu 1992 (YK’92) group that was known to have a limitless access to cash as it sought to convince Kenya to re-elect President Daniel Moi.
He made headlines in the “Nation” newspapers. Here are some.
NSSF denies plots deal with Jirongo
Former Member of Parliament for Lugari Constituency Cyrus Jirongo.
September 29, 1992: Jirongo was the YK ‘92 chairman during a storm over a land deal by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Jirongo and Davy Koech were directors of Sololo Outlets Ltd that sold land to NSSF for Sh1.2 billion when the true value was Sh66 million. After the prices were revealed in a Sunday Nation investigation, the NSSF Board claimed the sale was discussed but had been rejected. Jirongo later sued to block “Nation” from reporting the matter.
Resign, Jirongo told by officials
November 7, 1992: A complaint from two Kanu officials brought to fore the well-oiled machine that was YK ‘92. Shaban Nasser and J Ndolo claimed the group was swimming in money but with little to show for it. “They have taken President Moi for a very big ride. They use money lavishly and squander it while it is supposed to be used in campaigning for President Moi,” they said.
YK’92 operations halted
April 24, 1993: President Moi stopped the activities of YK’92 through a statement from State House, Nakuru. He said on April 23 that some members of the lobby were working with the opposition to tarnish the names of people loyal to him, the country and Kanu. Opposition members, among them Paul Muite and Mwai Kibaki, said the disbandment was because the group had run its course. Mr Muite said: “The organisation had served its purpose ... It was set up by President Moi with the objective of distributing Sh25 billion to buy Kanu’s victory.”
I am clean, says embattled Jirongo
Cyrus Jirongo during an interview at his Mayfair Suites offices in Nairobi on October 28, 2021.
April 26, 1993: Two days after Moi halted the YK ’92 operations, Jirongo surfaced to say he had not been arrested and that he had not done anything wrong to cause the discontinuation of the lobby. He, however, failed to explain why Moi had pulled the plug on the group. At the time of its halting, YK’92 had 26 national executive committee members. A day after Jirongo’s remarks, some 19 executives disassociated themselves with “those who are working with the opposition” as Moi had claimed. Among the 19 was Mr William Ruto, Kenya’s current president.
Auctioneers raid Jirongo’s house
January 6, 1994: On Christmas Eve 1993, Jirongo’s house in Lavington, Nairobi, was raided by auctioneers who took a litany of assets, including his green Mercedes car that had automatic windows, a sunroof, a central locking system and a mobile phone. Gichuru Njihia reported that the auctioneers left “only a wooden stool to sit on”.
Time up, young MPs tell oldies
UDP party leader Cyrus Jirongo during the interview with the Saturday Nation at his Mayfair Suites offices in Nairobi on October 28, 2021.
November 9, 1998: By November 1998, despite the issues he was having with his properties, Jirongo had succeeded in becoming the Lugari MP via the 1997 General Election. To generate this headline, he had been part of a group of youthful Kanu MPs, including Mr Ruto, who said they wanted a young person to succeed Moi in 2002. “These leaders want to amass property in every corner of the country at the expense of the masses,” Jirongo said. Mr Ruto said any politician above 55 years should forget the presidency once Moi retired. “We have been called leaders of tomorrow since my primary school days back in 1977. Has tomorrow not yet come?” he asked
Quit Kanu, Moi orders Jirongo
March 4, 1999: Two years after his election as a lawmaker, Jirongo rattled Mr Moi when he threatened to form a party. Moi swiftly responded by asking him to quit the independence party, adding that Attorney-General Amos Wako was ready to register Jirongo’s party “immediately”.
Rebel MP Jirongo attends Moi rally
May 22, 2001: Given the political stance that Jirongo had taken, declaring that he would not seek re-election for Lugari constituency on a Kanu ticket, he shocked many when he attended a rally addressed by President Moi in Bomet. When introducing leaders, Moi was surprised to notice Jirongo. “Even Jirongo is here. He was in Kanu and I don’t know where he is now. I hope he will come back,” said Moi.
After the event, Jirongo could not confirm or deny claims that he wanted to be readmitted to Kanu.
Uhuru, Jirongo shine in reshuffle
November 22, 2001: On the day Mr Uhuru Kenyatta was appointed Local Government Minister, which was Moi’s way of fast-tracking him to power, Jirongo was made the Rural Development Minister.
This confirmed that he had been welcomed back to Kanu. He would go ahead to campaign for Mr Kenyatta to succeed Moi, a bid that failed.
Jirongo flexes muscles for the big fight
February 25, 2007: Ahead of the 2007 General Election, Jirongo re-entered the political scene with the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (Kaddu) party. Through Kaddu, he recaptured the Lugari seat and became the only lawmaker on that party. After the creation of the government of national unity, he became the only recognised opposition MP, and between 2008 and 2012 he was a member of the Public Investments Committee.
How Moi created then decimated youth lobby
June 12, 2016: A revisit of the life and times of YK’92 revealed that after the 1992 polls Kanu started divisions in the group. Journalist Kipchumba Some spoke with Fred Kiptanui, one of the group’s founders, who said: “Kanu engineered the divisions within YK’92 to weaken us.”
Man who owes Kenya Sh40 billion
November 16, 2022: Two loans that Jirongo took from Postbank in the early 1990s were revisited by journalist Brian Wasuna as they had by then ballooned to Sh40 billion. They were Sh1.1 billion and Sh1.65 billion at the time of borrowing but due to interest accumulation, they had shot up to Sh40 billion.
The combined Sh2.7 billion he had borrowed was equivalent to Kenya’s budget deficit at the time, using two parcels of land as collateral. One of the parcels was the 1,000-acre property in Ruai, Nairobi County.
Jolly Jirongo turns the tide
February 11, 2024: After his political gambles backfired, many people thought he was down and out. He made a surprise return when he popped up next to President Museveni in Uganda with Chinese investors to sign a lucrative climate change deal. He was there as the African representative of Luokong Technology, a Chinese firm tasked with developing a digital measuring, reporting and verification platform to do with carbon credits. “We’re thrilled to introduce advanced tools to Africa’s carbon market,” said a statement issued by Shiftings Ltd, a company Mr Jirongo owned.
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