Cyrus Jirongo, a former Cabinet minister and long-serving figure in Kenyan politics, was killed early Saturday in a road accident on the Nairobi–Nakuru highway, authorities said. He was 64.

The crash happened around 3 a.m. in the Karai area of Naivasha as Mr Jirongo was driving towards Nairobi. His vehicle collided with a 65-seater passenger bus, police said, killing him at the scene.

Confirming the incident, Rift Valley traffic enforcement officer Sarah Chumo said the former legislator’s car rammed into the bus and was badly damaged. The cause of the collision was not immediately made public.

Mr Jirongo was best known for his time in government during the final years of President Daniel arap Moi’s administration. He served as Minister for Rural Development in 2002 and represented Lugari Constituency in Parliament between 1997 and 2002, returning for another term from 2007 to 2013.

Over the years, he remained a visible — if sometimes controversial — presence in national politics. In 2017, he ran for president under the United Democratic Party, finishing far behind the leading candidates. Five years later, he sought the Kakamega governorship but lost to Fernandes Barasa of the Orange Democratic Movement.

Tributes began to flow within hours of news of his death. Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka described him as “one of our greatest sons,” adding, “Death has robbed us of a leader who served his people with commitment.”

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general, Francis Atwoli, said he had received the news “with shock and sadness”. Mr Jirongo, he wrote, “was an asset to our community and to Kenya. We loved him, but God loved him more.”

Though he had kept a relatively low profile since the 2022 elections, Mr Jirongo had recently returned to the campaign trail. He publicly backed a candidate in the Malava by-election and was seen canvassing for votes in the days before polling last month.

His death brings to a sudden end a career that spanned business, party politics and public office — and leaves another reminder of the dangers on one of the country’s busiest highways.