Tiriki elders cursed anyone linked to the death of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.
They visited his Gigiri home in traditional dress. They offered condolences for their son. He was Tiriki, born in Vihiga. The elders praised the father of 38 kids. They called him the face of the Tiriki. This sub-tribe falls under the larger Luhya group. Tiriki ways match Kalenjin customs most closely.
Elder Wandabuli wore robes from the African Divine Church. That church thrives in western Kenya. In his prayer, he spoke to Jirongo’s spirit. He said to chase anyone who caused the death. Pursue them without stop. Deny them any peace.
Luhya groups bury their dead on the side. They face the place of origin. Wandabuli called for Jirongo to lie on his back instead. That way, he could follow his killers.
“If anyone took part in Jirongo’s death, we say do not rest,” he prayed. “Lie on your back. Follow that killer to the grave.”
Elder Thomas Ingara led the group. He handles Tiriki customs and rites. He called Jirongo the community’s pride. Many people looked up to him.
Ingara warned that Tiriki blood would haunt anyone involved. It would follow them to the grave.
“I guard Tiriki customs and ways,” Thomas Ingara said. “Jirongo passed through these hands. He was the eyes of the Tiriki. Wherever we are, we think only of Jirongo. He left us too soon. We can’t change it. The voice of the Tiriki, or their blood, will tell all.”
His death
Family and friends want answers about Cyrus Jirongo’s death. He died in a crash in Nakuru County. It happened at Karai on the Nairobi-Malaba Highway.
Government pathologist Johansen Oduor did the autopsy. He found blunt force trauma to the chest. There were spine injuries and internal bleeding.
Jirongo’s burial is set for Lumakanda on December 30, 2025.
The elders’ visit fits Tiriki customs for deaths. More rites will likely follow for Jirongo.
