People's Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua has revealed that the late Cyrus Jirongo had expressed concerns about his personal safety.
Speaking during Jirongo's memorial ceremony at CITAM Nairobi on Saturday, December 27, Karua disclosed that the former Lugari MP was actively working on improving his security measures when the fatal accident occurred.
"Cyrus had concerns about his safety. He was actually making arrangements to better secure himself. This accident came before that time. So those questions will linger," Karua stated, leaving mourners with unanswered questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Martha described Jirongo as a friend and brother, recounting how they first met before his entry into politics, when he came to court to bail out a mutual friend who is now a prominent figure in government.
"We are here to honor a friend and a brother. I met Cyrus before he started, before his entry into politics. And in line with his character, he had come to the courts to bail out a friend, now a big shot in government," Karua said.
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She noted that despite their political differences; with Jirongo serving in government while she was in the opposition when they both served in Parliament, their collaboration remained strong across many political seasons.
"He was in government. We were in the opposition. But that did not stop our collaboration. We've collaborated with Cyrus in many political seasons," she said, adding that they had been planning to work together moving forward to the 2022 elections and beyond.
Karua paid tribute to Jirongo's character, describing him as someone with a large heart who was generous and saw people for who they truly are.
"We say farewell to a person who had a large heart, generous, who saw people for who they are, a person who not only loved the Mulembe Nation, but humanity, and who always thought of how he could improve on what was there," she eulogized.
Jirongo died on Saturday, December 13, following a devastating road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway in the early morning hours.
A postmortem examination conducted on his body revealed that he died from blunt force trauma. Family pathologist Dr. Joseph Ndung'u disclosed on Wednesday, December 17, that the former MP sustained severe injuries to his chest, abdomen, spinal cord, and legs.
"As a result of our examination, we formed an opinion that the late Cyrus Jirongo died as a result of a crush injury to the chest, abdomen, and also a spinal injury due to blunt force trauma," Dr. Ndung'u explained.
The pathologist detailed that Jirongo's body had multiple fractures on the right hand and both legs, along with extensive chest injuries including fractured ribs, a perforated heart, and ruptured blood vessels. There was also a transection of the spinal cord at the thoracic level.
