Cyrus Jirongo, the late former Lugari MP who died in a crash in the early hours of Saturday December 13, was a key figure in the Youth for KANU (YK 92) movement alongside President William Ruto, who was a student at the University of Nairobi at the time.
Working together, they secured President Daniel Moi's re-election in the 1992 general elections - the country's first multi-party elections since 1966.
Within the YK 92 movement, Jirongo chaired a team that included Ruto, who served as treasurer, as well as former FKF president Sam Nyamweya and former MP Joe Kimkung, among others.
It was in the YK 92 movement that Ruto allied himself with Jirongo and after the YK 92 was disbanded, the two successfully contested for parliamentary seats in 1997.
Jirongo was elected Lugari MP in 1997 on a KANU ticket, while Ruto won the Eldoret North Constituency seat also on a KANU ticket.
Prior to the 2002 elections, Jirongo was appointed Minister for Rural Development, while Ruto served as Minister of Home Affairs. At that time, Ruto was serving as Secretary General of KANU.
Jirongo lost his bid to regain his Lugari parliamentary seat in the 2002 elections, but returned to Parliament in 2007 on the Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU) ticket.
Ruto, on the other hand, maintained his Eldoret North seat in both elections and developed his national political profile. He later joined the late former prime minister Raila Odinga in the famous ODM Pentagon, which backed Raila for the presidency in 2007.
Jirongo then fell out with Ruto, even contesting against him in 2013 when the former Lugari MP entered the 2013 presidential race. He later withdrew from the race to stand for election as a senator.
Ruto was Uhuru Kenyatta's running mate in their 2013 presidential campaign, and they won against the late Raila Odinga.
While Ruto's political career flourished, Jirongo's political journey dimmed. In 2013, Ruto became the country's first deputy president under the 2010 Constitution, and in 2022 he became Kenya's fifth president.
After Ruto became Deputy President, he and Jirongo met on several occasions, during which they exchanged jibes about their political fate after the YK92.
In 2022, Jirongo ran for Kakamega governor under his United Democratic Party (UDP), but lost to ODM's Fernandes Baraza.
Ruto, on the other hand, successfully contested the presidential election under his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
Prior to his death, Jirongo had become a vocal critic of Ruto's character and political record at public events.
Jirongo passed away on December 13, 2025, in a road accident along the Nairobi - Nakuru Highway.
