Just after dawn on Saturday, a stretch of the Nairobi–Nakuru Highway fell silent after a violent collision claimed the life of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.
Police say Jirongo was driving himself from Nakuru towards Nairobi when the crash occurred at about 3:00 am in the Karai area, near Naivasha. He was behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz when he attempted to overtake several vehicles and collided head-on with an oncoming Climax Company bus.
Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama confirmed the incident, saying Jirongo suffered severe head injuries and died at the scene.
The bus driver, Tiras Kamau Githinji, a 52-year-old with years on the road, spoke hours later, his voice steady but subdued. He told the press that the accident could have been avoided.
“He was overtaking a line of vehicles,” Githinji said. “If he had waited and given way, this would not have happened.”
Githinji said the bus was fully occupied, carrying 65 passengers. When he saw Jirongo’s car approaching in his lane, there was little he could do.
“There was nowhere to escape,” he said. “Everything happened very fast.”
None of the passengers were reported to have died, though some sustained injuries. Police did not immediately give details on their condition.
Jirongo’s body was first taken to the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary before being transferred to Lee Funeral Home in Nairobi.
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