LUMAKANDA, Kenya — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has given a detailed account of his final meeting with the late former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, as political leaders intensify calls for an independent inquest into the circumstances surrounding Jirongo’s death, rejecting official claims that it was a straightforward road accident.
Speaking on Tuesday during Jirongo’s burial in Lumakanda, Kakamega County, Wetang’ula said he last met the veteran politician days before the fatal crash and described the news of his death as deeply shocking.
Wetang’ula told mourners that on December 6, 2025, while he was in Uganda on parliamentary duties, Jirongo called him requesting a meeting. The two agreed to meet after Wetang’ula returned to Kenya.
“He told me he wanted to see me. I told him I would meet him once I returned,” Wetang’ula said.
According to the Speaker, he returned to the country on December 11 and attended a family funeral in Bungoma before travelling to Nairobi, where he met Jirongo in Karen later that night, accompanied by Athletics Kenya official General Jackson Tuwei.
“At 2:15 am, I arrived at a friend’s place called Malala. Fifteen minutes later, Cyrus arrived, and the three of us sat together — myself, Cyrus, and General Tuwei of Athletics Kenya,” Wetang’ula said.
He added that the meeting was brief as he was preparing to travel to Mombasa for another funeral, leaving shortly after 9:30 pm.
Wetang’ula said he was stunned the following morning when he learnt that Jirongo had died in a road crash.
“I woke up at 1 am to go to Mombasa, and my young man came and told me, ‘Daddy, I am very sorry.’ I asked why, since I had been with him the previous night, and he said Cyrus had died in an accident,” he said.
“It hit me like a thunderbolt… Jirongo was personal to me as a friend. We had helped each other, worked together, and I can tell you Jirongo was a man,” Wetang’ula added.
He described Jirongo as a friend of more than 38 years, saying their relationship went beyond politics.
“My brother Jirongo has been my friend for over 38 years. I have been his friend, his lawyer, and at times we did some small business together. We used to visit each other, especially in the evenings in Karen, to sit and talk,” he said.
However, Wetang’ula’s remarks have done little to quell growing scrutiny surrounding Jirongo’s death.
Several leaders at the burial questioned the official narrative that the former MP died in a simple traffic accident, calling for a transparent, independent investigation.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale challenged Wetang’ula to disclose more details about his interactions with Jirongo in the days leading up to the crash, saying the community deserved clarity.
“I would like you, George, to say what happened when you were with Honourable Wetang’ula. This is the opportunity,” Khalwale said. “We want to know what you discussed and what you were planning.”
Former Vihiga Senator George Khaniri also raised concerns, citing CCTV footage from a petrol station in Naivasha that he said showed Jirongo was not alone in his vehicle shortly before the crash.
“When you look at Jirongo’s car entering the petrol station in Naivasha, there was a passenger in the front seat. He was not alone,” Khaniri said, questioning why Jirongo was later found alone and calling for a full forensic investigation.
Khaniri added that he may have been among the last people to speak to Jirongo, saying they spoke by phone at about 5 pm on the eve of the crash. He also claimed he saw Jirongo earlier that evening at Oasis in Karen with Wetang’ula and two other individuals.
Jirongo died on December 13, 2025, after his vehicle collided head-on with a bus along the Nakuru–Nairobi highway. Police have described the incident as a traffic accident, but the circumstances have continued to fuel public suspicion.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi urged Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to confront President William Ruto over what he termed unanswered questions.
“Musalia, it is your responsibility to face William Ruto head-on and tell him to explain to us the death of Cyrus Jirongo,” Amisi said.
Other leaders, including former Westlands MP Fred Gumo and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, echoed calls for a transparent probe, citing gaps and contradictions in official accounts. ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna warned that justice for Jirongo might not be achieved despite the growing public pressure.
DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa criticised what he described as conflicting statements from security agencies, insisting that only an independent inquest would restore public confidence.
“In a situation where we have conflicting statements from the same government, the buck stops with the President,” Wamalwa said. “We are calling for an independent and formal inquest into the death of Cyrus Jirongo.”
