The wreckage of the Mercedes Benz that former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo was driving before a road crash that claimed his life on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway on December 13, 2025.
Veteran politician Cyrus Jirongo dropped off a friend at a Naivasha hotel less than an hour before he was killed in a head-on collision with a bus early Friday morning.
Fresh details obtained by the Nation from sources who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter indicate that Mr Jirongo had been with a friend in Nairobi on Thursday evening, who later asked him to drop her off in Naivasha town.
A boda boda rider operating in Naivasha said on Monday that he saw the former legislator stop near a local hotel along the busy Nairobi–Nakuru Highway at about 1.30am, where a woman alighted from the vehicle before Mr Jirongo drove off towards Nairobi.
“I saw a white Mercedes-Benz pull over and a woman disembark from the front passenger seat. I had also dropped a passenger at the same spot. When I checked who the driver was, I saw it was Mr Jirongo. He spoke briefly with the woman for less than a minute, then drove off,” the rider said.
Police have since begun retracing Mr Jirongo’s movements between 11pm, when he was last seen by friends at a popular restaurant in Karen, and about 2am, when he died in the crash.
A senior officer in the Rift Valley traffic department said that after the collision, general duty officers on night patrol were the first to arrive at the scene, with traffic police arriving later after being called in.
The wreckage of the Mercedes Benz that former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo was driving before a road crash that claimed his life on the Nakuru-Nairobi highway on December 13, 2025.
Traffic officers assessed the scene, took photographs and facilitated the clearing of the road. The general duty officers did not take an inventory of items in the vehicle, as there was no immediate indication of foul play.
Police procedures require that an inventory of items be recorded only where there is suspicion of a crime, for purposes of evidence and the eventual return of valuables and personal effects to victims’ families.
Traffic officers examined documents found in the vehicle, including an identity card, which helped confirm that the deceased was Mr Jirongo.
A motorist who was driving towards Nairobi said he had earlier seen Mr Jirongo’s white Mercedes-Benz parked by the roadside, where the politician had stopped briefly to answer a call of nature.
“Even though it was at night, I could tell it was Mr Cyrus Jirongo because I know him. I drove past and continued with my journey. I later learnt of his death in the Karai accident on Saturday morning after I arrived in Nairobi,” the motorist said.
One of the first responders at the scene said he noticed a few personal effects believed to belong to a woman inside the car.
“When we arrived, I saw some female items on the back seat and earrings on the front passenger seat,” said a Naivasha-based journalist who viewed the wreckage before it was towed away.
According to an attendant at East African Oilgas (Eagol) Petrol Station in Karai, Mr Jirongo drove into the station at about 2.15am while heading towards Nairobi along the highway.
The former MP entered the petrol station from the opposite direction and steered his car towards the fuel pumps, but did not stop to refuel. Instead, he turned around and rejoined the highway.
“He passed the pumps, made a turn and went back onto the road,” the attendant said.
The wreckage of the Mercedes Benz that Cyrus Jirongo was driving parked at Naivasha police Station on December 13, 2025.
It was while rejoining the highway that the fatal error occurred, according to the witness. Mr Jirongo is said to have continued driving in the lane meant for oncoming traffic—vehicles travelling from Nairobi towards Nakuru.
“A few minutes later, I heard a loud bang from the highway. His Mercedes-Benz had collided head-on with a Climax Company bus that was ferrying passengers from Nairobi towards Nakuru. The car was dragged several metres from the point of impact before the bus came to a stop,” the attendant said.
He said he rushed to the scene and tried to open the car door, but it was locked.
“When I peeped inside, I saw Mr Jirongo slumped over the steering wheel, facing downwards, with blood visible on his head,” he said.
The attendant added that he called the emergency number at 2.37am to alert the police. While one lorry sped past without stopping, another driver later pulled over to assist.
“I was alone at first. Drivers usually pass through the station, so I tried to stop a lorry heading towards Nairobi, but it did not stop. A few minutes later, another driver stopped, and we tried to help the occupant of the Mercedes-Benz, but he was unresponsive,” he said.
Mr Jirongo’s family said on Monday evening that the results of his post-mortem examination were yet to be released as they await the completion of forensic processes ordered by investigative agencies.
UDP party leader Cyrus Jirongo during an interview at his Mayfair Suites offices in Nairobi on October 28, 2021.
A family member told the Nation that three pathologists will jointly conduct the post-mortem: one appointed by the family, another representing Mr Jirongo’s clan, and a government pathologist on behalf of the State.
The family said the multi-party arrangement was agreed upon to ensure transparency and public confidence in the outcome, given the questions surrounding the circumstances of the former MP’s death.
The decision followed consultations aimed at ensuring all stakeholders are represented and that the findings are credible and beyond dispute.
By yesterday evening, family members were in a meeting to discuss funeral arrangements and to agree on how the post-mortem results will be handled and communicated once released. The family said it would brief the public promptly, noting that the findings would be critical in addressing lingering questions about Mr Jirongo’s final hours.
The bus driver, Titus Kamau, later corroborated the petrol station attendant’s account, saying Mr Jirongo’s car suddenly appeared in his lane moments before the crash.
“The driver of the Mercedes-Benz attempted to overtake after leaving the petrol station and swerved into my lane, causing the collision,” Mr Kamau said.
“I was travelling from Nairobi to Busia, and the Mercedes-Benz was coming from the opposite direction. The driver did not give way and was trying to overtake another vehicle when the head-on collision occurred. I later learnt that it was former MP Cyrus Jirongo,” he added.
Mr Kamau, who has worked as a Climax Company driver for eight years, said he was ferrying 65 passengers to Busia at the time of the accident.
Police have also said they suspect the former MP, a licensed firearm holder, may have had his gun with him at the time of the crash.
“We suspect he may have had a firearm, but when the body was moved, officers did not find anything. We are awaiting homicide detectives, who will take over the investigations and provide further findings,” a senior police officer said. Family members, friends and political allies have called for investigations into the circumstances of Mr Jirongo’s death, saying several aspects of the incident raise questions.
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Reporting by Eric Matara, Steve Otieno and Kamore Maina
