Bus Driver Recounts Split-Second Decision on Crash That Killed Former MP Cyrus Jirongo

The driver of the Climax Coach bus involved in the tragic road accident that claimed the life of former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo has spoken out, describing the heartbreaking moments that led to the fatal collision and the split-second decision he says left him with no alternative.

The accident occurred along the Nakuru–Naivasha Highway on Saturday, December 13, 2025.

Kamau Githinji, a Climax Coach driver with eight years of experience, said the crash happened early in the morning as he was driving from Nairobi to Busia with 65 passengers on board.

“I was coming from Nairobi heading to Busia,” Githinji said.

“Early in the morning, there was an accident between my bus and a Mercedes-Benz.”

According to Githinji, the Mercedes-Benz entered the highway from a petrol station and failed to give way, placing him in a dangerous and unavoidable situation.

“Usiku ya leo ilitokea accident. Mercedes ilikuwa inatoka kwa mafuta petrol station na mimi natoka Nairobi nikienda Busia. Mercedes hakugive way,” he recalled.

Githinji said the situation quickly escalated into a head-on collision, explaining that swerving would have endangered the lives of dozens of passengers aboard the bus.

“Aliingia kwa barabara na akaona pande yake gari zimeweka jam akaamua kukuja penye niko tukakutana kichwa na kichwa na yeye,” he said.

“The car had only one person, the driver, while my bus had 65 passengers.”

He added that he briefly considered veering off the road to avoid the impact but realised that doing so could have caused the bus to overturn.

“Wakati nilijaribu kuokoa nukasikia gari yangu inaweza enda chini sasa mimi nikakanyaga akakuja kama ameniingia (I had opted to swerve, but that would have turned tragic on my end, so I continued on my lane, and he came straight at me),” he said.

Githinji said he only learned the identity of the Mercedes-Benz driver after police arrived at the scene.

“I didn’t know the Mercedes-Benz driver was Cyrus Jirongo until the police came,” he said, before expressing his sympathies to the late politician’s family.

“My condolences.”

Police confirmed that Jirongo, a former Lugari MP and a prominent political figure, sustained severe head injuries and died at the scene.

His death has since sparked an outpouring of condolences from political leaders, trade unionists, and members of the public across the country.