Anne Jirongo on Saturday opened up about the heart-wrenching moment she learned of her husband, former Cabinet minister and businessman Cyrus Jirongo’s death, during a memorial service at CITAM Church in Nairobi.
Speaking to mourners, Mrs Jirongo recounted receiving a phone call in the early hours that would shatter her world.
She said she was awake at around 3am, struggling to make sense of uneasy feelings, when her husband’s phone rang.
“I saw his call, but when I picked it up, it was not him,” she said. “A stranger asked me if I knew the owner of the phone.”
Upon confirming that the phone belonged to her husband, she immediately sought to speak to him and find out his whereabouts.
The caller informed her that Mr Jirongo had been involved in an accident, was unconscious, and was being attended to by doctors.
The memorial service brought together family, friends, and political figures who remembered Jirongo as a bold and fearless leader.
Speakers highlighted his contributions to both business and public life, noting that his voice will be deeply missed in Kenya’s political discourse.
Jirongo died following a crash on the Nairobi–Naivasha highway, a stretch notorious for road accidents.
His passing has renewed concerns over road safety and the need for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing, while the family and supporters prepare for the late leader’s burial, marking the end of a prominent chapter in Kenya’s political and business landscape.