Inside Cyrus Jirongo’s last phone call with a close friend before death
Former Vihiga County Senator George Khaniri has revealed that he may have been among the very last people to speak with the late Cyrus Jirongo before his death.
Speaking during Jirongo’s burial ceremony held in Lumakanda, Lugari Constituency, Kakamega County, on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Khaniri gave a detailed account of his final phone conversation with the former legislator.
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Khaniri told the gathering that the call took place late at night, just hours before the tragic road accident that claimed Jirongo’s life along the Nakuru–Nairobi Highway.
Khaniri recounts the last call
“I think I must be among the last people to speak to him on the phone,” Khaniri said. “Nafikiria mimi ni mmoja wa wale wa mwisho kabisa kuongea na yeye.”
He revealed that he spoke to Jirongo at around 11:00 pm, saying the conversation lasted approximately three minutes.
“Niliongea na yeye saa tano za usiku na tukaongea kwa dakika tatu,” Khaniri said. “Akanieleza vizuri ndugu yangu.”
Khaniri recalled asking Jirongo where he was at the time, to which the former MP gave a response that has since taken on a haunting meaning.
“Niliuliza uko wapi, akaniambia niko mahali uliniacha,” he said.
According to Khaniri, Jirongo was seated at a place known as Oasis in Karen, Nairobi. He said he later passed by the location and saw Jirongo seated with Moses Wetang’ula and two other individuals.
“Mheshimiwa Jirongo alikuwa ameketi mahali kule Karen panaitwa Oasis,” Khaniri told mourners. “Nikaja nikapata wameketi pale na ndugu yangu Spika Wetang’ula na wengine wawili.”
Khaniri explained that although he saw them, he did not stop to join them as he had other commitments at the time.
“Sikuingia kwa sababu nilikuwa na shughuli zangu,” he said.
Crowd reacts to the revelation
As Khaniri narrated the events, the crowd reacted emotionally when he paused mid-sentence while reflecting on whether anyone else may have spoken to Jirongo after that call.
“Sidhani kama kuna watu wengine walimpigia, unless ni wale walikuwa na yeye,” he said, prompting cheers and murmurs from the mourners.
Khaniri added that Jirongo saw him drive past in his car that night, which explained why Jirongo told him he was still at the same place Khaniri had last seen him.
“Aliniona nikiendesha gari langu, kwa hivyo wakati nilimuuliza uko wapi, aliniambia mahali uliniacha,” he said.
Khaniri’s revelation has added a deeply personal layer to the final moments of the former MP’s life, underscoring how close he was to friends even in his last hours.
