‘I Was Not Aware’: Museveni Mourns Jirongo Months After His Death

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 21 – Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has mourned former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, saying he only recently learnt that the Kenyan politician died in a road accident in December 2025.

Museveni said he was unaware of Jirongo’s death until recently, describing the former politician as a patriotic leader who served Kenya with dedication.

“I have just learnt that Senator Cyrus Jirongo passed away last December in a motor accident. I was not aware that he had died,” Museveni said in a message shared on Monday.

“This is very sad. Jirongo was a good and patriotic leader who served his country with dedication. We shall miss him. My condolences go to his family, relatives, friends and the people of Kenya. May his soul rest in peace.”

Although Museveni referred to Jirongo as a senator, the late politician was a former Member of Parliament for Lugari and later served as a Cabinet minister.

Jirongo died on the night of December 13, 2025, following a road traffic accident in the Karai area along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said an autopsy established that Jirongo suffered multiple crush injuries caused by blunt-force trauma.

The DCI said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash were ongoing.

Jirongo was a prominent figure in Kenyan politics and represented Lugari in Parliament before serving in the Cabinet.

His political career spanned several years in Kenya’s multiparty era, during which he was involved in major political and national debates.

Museveni’s tribute came a day after he recalled another aspect of his interactions with Jirongo, saying the late politician had alerted him around 2019 about Uganda’s petroleum import arrangements.

According to Museveni, Jirongo told him that Uganda was purchasing petroleum products through middlemen in Kenya.

“It was a Kenyan Senator called Jirongo who told me this around 2019. I immediately tasked the then Minister Irene Muloni to sort out that mess,” Museveni said in a statement issued to mark his 82nd birthday.

Museveni said the changes did not happen immediately, but Uganda eventually entered into an arrangement with Vitol in August 2023.

He said the arrangement reduced the price Uganda was paying per metric tonne for diesel from US$118 to US$83, petrol from US$97.50 to US$61.50, and aviation fuel from US$114.25 to US$79.25.

Museveni also credited President William Ruto with helping facilitate the new arrangement.

He said Kenya allowed Uganda to transport its petroleum products through the Kenya oil pipeline and acquire a 20.15 per cent shareholding in the pipeline company.

The arrangement further strengthened cooperation between Kenya and Uganda in petroleum transportation and supply.

The petroleum issue referenced by Museveni predates Kenya’s current Government-to-Government petroleum import framework.

Kenya’s State Department for Petroleum says the country entered into Master Framework Agreements with multinational oil companies on March 10, 2023, for petroleum supplies under the G-to-G arrangement.

Kenya and Uganda subsequently signed a tripartite agreement in May 2024 allowing the Uganda National Oil Company to import refined petroleum products directly from producer countries and transport them through Kenya.

President Ruto said the arrangement was intended to address challenges in Uganda’s petroleum supply sector.

Museveni’s tribute has renewed attention on Jirongo’s political career and his interactions with leaders beyond Kenya.

While mourning the former Lugari MP, the Ugandan President also highlighted Jirongo’s role in raising concerns over Uganda’s petroleum procurement arrangements.

Jirongo’s death came months before Museveni publicly recalled the former politician’s contribution to the discussions, with the Ugandan leader now saying he had only recently learnt of his passing.