From Moi’s Protégé to Political Maverick: The Rise, Fall, and Final Journey of Cyrus Jirongo
Cyrus Shakhalaga Khwa Jirongo, the veteran Kenyan politician and businessman whose fortunes soared under former President Daniel Arap Moi before descending into financial and political turbulence, died on December 13, 2025, in a road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. He was 64.
Jirongo’s life traced the arc of modern Kenya’s political drama—from the height of KANU’s one-party dominance to the tumultuous multiparty era, through presidential ambitions, bankruptcy declarations, and an enduring presence in the country’s opposition landscape.
Born in 1961 in Western Province, just before Kenya’s independence, Jirongo attended the prestigious Mang’u High School and rose to prominence in the 1990s as a flamboyant figure in Moi’s inner circle. He served as Lugari Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2002 under KANU and was appointed Minister for Rural Development in the final months of Moi’s 24-year rule.
It was during this period that Jirongo amassed enormous wealth, earning a reputation as a billionaire before the age of 30. His lavish lifestyle made him a household name, a symbol of the opulence and political patronage that characterized the Moi era.
But as Moi’s reign ended with the election of President Mwai Kibaki in 2002—a transition backed by Raila Odinga, whom Moi had once jailed—Jirongo’s political path grew more complex. Though closely aligned with Moi, he later shared political stages with William Ruto, then a fellow member of the influential YK ’92 movement. The two would later fall out as their careers diverged.
After KANU’s defeat, Jirongo worked to carve his own legacy. He founded the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU) in 2006 and reclaimed the Lugari parliamentary seat from 2007 to 2013. Later, he launched the United Democratic Party (UDP) and contested the presidency in 2017, but garnered only about 11,000 votes.
His later political bids also fell short: a 2013 attempt to become Kakamega Senator lost to Boni Khalwale, and the 2022 Kakamega gubernatorial race saw him defeated by ODM’s Fernandes Barasa.
Parallel to his political ventures, Jirongo faced significant financial decline. Once considered filthy rich, he encountered severe legal and monetary troubles, including court battles and bankruptcy declarations—a stark contrast to his earlier image as Moi’s wealthy protégé.
In his final years, Jirongo maintained a lower profile but was gradually re-engaging with politics, recently warming to the United Opposition ahead of upcoming elections.
A polygamist and father to many children, he was described by those close to him as “a typical wealthy African man” whose life reflected both the privileges and perils of Kenya’s political entrepreneurship.
His death marks the close of a chapter for a generation of leaders who came of age under Moi, navigating Kenya’s shift from single-party rule to contested democracy—often walking the fine line between immense fortune and dramatic fall.
