Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has expressed shock after learning that former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo died months ago in a road accident. Museveni only discovered the news after recently recalling how the late Kenyan politician had helped Uganda uncover losses linked to the purchase of fuel through middlemen.
Highlights
- Museveni said he had only recently learnt of Jirongo’s death.
- Jirongo died in a road crash on December 13, 2025.
- He reportedly alerted Museveni to inflated fuel costs in Uganda in 2019.
- Jirongo served as Lugari MP during two separate periods.
- Museveni described him as a patriotic Kenyan leader.
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Museveni Learns of Jirongo’s Death
President Yoweri Museveni has mourned former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo after revealing that he was unaware of the politician’s death more than eight months ago.
Jirongo died on December 13, 2025, following a road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
Museveni’s reaction came after Jirongo’s name resurfaced in connection with an old fuel procurement issue between Kenya and Uganda.
Jirongo’s Role in Uganda Fuel Deal
While speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kampala Storage Terminal in Mpigi District on February 17, Museveni recalled receiving information from Jirongo around 2019.
According to the Ugandan President, Jirongo informed him that Uganda was sourcing fuel from Kenya through intermediaries who were allegedly adding significant markups to the cost.
Museveni said he responded by instructing the then Energy Minister Irene Muloni to address the matter.
The revelation brought Jirongo’s contribution back into the spotlight, prompting renewed interest in the former politician’s career and his connections across the region.
‘I Was Not Aware That He Had Died’
Several days after mentioning Jirongo during his remarks, Museveni said he had learnt for the first time that the former Kenyan lawmaker had passed away.
The Ugandan leader described the news as painful and offered condolences to Jirongo’s family, friends and Kenyans.
Museveni remembered him as a dedicated public servant who had served his country with patriotism.
He also expressed regret that he had not known about Jirongo’s passing earlier.
Jirongo’s Political Career
Jirongo was a prominent figure in Kenyan politics and business for several decades.
He first became an MP for Lugari in 1997, later returning to Parliament in 2007 and serving until 2013.
The politician attended Mang’u High School and rose to national prominence in the early 1990s, when he was associated with a group of influential young politicians who were closely linked to the administration of former President Daniel arap Moi.
Beyond politics, Jirongo built a reputation in business and remained a familiar figure in Kenya’s public life.
Fatal Highway Crash
Jirongo died at approximately 3am on December 13, 2025, at the age of 64.
According to a police report, his vehicle was involved in a head-on collision with an oncoming passenger bus along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.
His death brought to an end the career of a politician whose influence stretched across politics, business and public affairs.
For Museveni, the late politician’s passing also came with the belated realisation that a former Kenyan lawmaker who had once helped draw his attention to a costly fuel procurement problem was no longer alive.
yrus Jirongo’s story is a reminder that the impact of a public figure can sometimes be felt long after their final day — and in places far beyond their own country.
