NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 13 – The driver of the Climax Company bus involved in the crash that claimed the life of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo has spoken out, saying he made a split-second decision to protect the 65 passengers on board even as a collision became inevitable.
Tirus Kamau, who has worked with the long-distance bus company for eight years, says he was driving from Nairobi to Busia when the fatal accident occurred at around 3am on Saturday at Karai, Naivasha.
Kamau told reporters at Naivasha Police Station that a white Mercedes-Benz E350, later confirmed to have been driven by Jirongo, suddenly moved into his lane.
“The Mercedes was driving out of a petrol station on the highway, and I was on my way to Busia from Nairobi,” he recalled, “The driver of the Mercedes didn’t give way. He decided to overlap into my lane because there was traffic on his side.”
With 65 passengers behind him and only seconds to react, Kamau says he realised that swerving sharply off the road would likely send the bus rolling down.
“I was carrying 65 people,” he said. “When I tried to avoid hitting him, I realised the bus would go down, so I decided to save the 65 people.”
It was a split-second calculation: absorb the impact at the front of the bus rather than risk overturning and potentially killing dozens.
The force of the collision crushed the front of the Mercedes beyond recognition. Kamau says he had no idea who the driver was until police arrived.
“I didn’t know who it was, but when police came, they confirmed it was Cyrus Jirongo. He died on the spot,” he said quietly.
According to a police report filed at Naivasha Traffic Base, Jirongo’s Mercedes was headed towards Nairobi when it left its lane and collided head-on with the oncoming bus belonging to Climax Company.
The former MP sustained severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was moved to the Naivasha Sub-County Morgue awaiting post-mortem, while both vehicles were towed to Naivasha Police Station for inspection.
Kamau’s account adds a human dimension to the tragedy, painting a picture of a driver forced into an impossible choice in the dark of night: risk overturning a fully loaded bus, or brace for impact in a bid to keep dozens of passengers alive.
Police investigations into the exact cause of the crash are ongoing, even as tributes continue to pour in for Jirongo from political leaders and residents across the country.
President William Ruto has sent condolences to Jirongo’s family, describing him as a “relentless go-getter, a seasoned businessman, and a consummate politician who refused to be defined, let alone defeated, by life’s challenges.”
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka said Jirongo was a “bold and charismatic leader who never shied away from standing out, challenging convention, or pursuing his convictions with courage and clarity. His contribution to Kenya’s public life and his distinctive voice in our national discourse will be remembered.”
