Jirongo's Complex Legacy: wealth, debts, and family revealed

In the '90s, the name Cyrus Jirongo was synonymous with Sh500 currency.

The former Lugari Member of Parliament had made his name in 1992 after forming the Youth for Kanu ’92 (YK92) movement, which was to counter the then-emerging opposition, which was led by the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

YK92 was well-oiled and backed by, among others, Sam Nyamweya, Mohammed Ahmed, Gerald Bomett, Jimmy Choge and Micah Kigen. By then, the country was reeling in economic turbulence, which led the government to release Sh 500.

Jirongo, being the chair, was generous and flamboyant to a fault and had YK92 meetings facilitated using the new notes. This led to the notes being nicknamed after him.

By the time Jirongo took the helm of the group, he had trimmed his coat as a sharp businessman with a keen eye on real estate.

At the time, he was linked to Hazina Estate, Kemri Estate, Komarocks and Saika.

Jirongo claimed he was among the few billionaires by the time he was 30 years. “ YK never made me; it destroyed me financially,” he claimed in an interview with a Kenyan newspaper.

In life, the man passed through episodes of lack, unable to pay debts, and he ended up being declared bankrupt.

In 2018, Commercial Court judge Olga Sewe ruled in favour of businessman Sammy Kogo, Mr Jirongo’s creditor, and ordered that the latter’s estate should be placed under receivership.

“Having heard the petitioner and having read the creditor’s petition, and having seen the exhibits, the court hereby orders that Shakhalanga Khwa Jirongo be adjudged bankrupt by virtue of the bankruptcy order,” ruled Justice Sewe.

The court further ordered that an official receiver be appointed as a trustee of the estate of the bankrupt.”

Mr Kogo allowed Jirongo (right) to secure a loan from National Bank using his properties as security. However, he failed to repay the lender.

At the centre of the battle between the politician and the businessman are properties held under Masole, Linsala Enterprise, Bain Enterprises, Saman Developer, Gileta, Koit Developers and Kenete Enterprises Ltd.

In the case, the judge heard that after Jirongo defaulted, National Bank sold the properties at a public auction in 2009, after efforts to have the former presidential candidate pay back Sh60 million failed.

The suit between him and the bank began back in 2006. The eight companies sued Jirongo, National Bank and Bethlehem Trading East Africa for allegedly illegally benefiting from the securities given to him.

It was then that the bank made a court application seeking to have the politician place security for the case after it discovered, through a search, that the eight companies had not filed their tax returns.

The total share capital of all the companies, except Linsala, was found to be Sh120,000.

The search also revealed that all the companies had secured Sh20 million each.  Linsala, on the other hand, had secured Sh40 million.

On November 30, 2006, the High Court ordered that he should place Sh5 million as security within 30 days.

He then agreed with Kogo that he would repay Sh700 million, the value of the eight properties.

The politician was given 180 days to repay the money on September 12, 2013, but he never did. Neither did he appear in court, and the orders were thus given undefended.

After Kogo, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions’ Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, sued Jirongo for failing to repay a Sh110 million debt.

Atwoli sought the amount, plus 25 per cent from August 10, 2016, until he cleared the same.

COTU’s boss stated that he had loaned Jirongo Sh 100 million on a friendly basis under an agreement dated August 10, 2016. The two agreed that Jirongo would top up Sh 10 million as interest.

 In response, Jirongo denied being loaned the money. Instead, he said, the money was wired to Kuza Farm and Allied Limited. He explained that KUZA had a valid court order of Sh 250 million against Nairobi County Government, which had also defaulted in remitting the money.

 He instead suggested that Atwoli should have pursued the county or attached its bank accounts to recoup the money.

 He urged the court to strike out the case.

However, Justice Francis Tuiyott, in his ruling on December 12, 2017, said that he had actually admitted that the money had been advanced to him, and not KUZA.

“ The defendant’s indebtedness was plain and obvious in the acknowledgement and undertaking of  August 10, 2016. It was even more obvious and unequivocal when the Defendant gave the further undertaking of October 21, 2016.  This Court holds and finds that the defendant has admitted owing Sh 110 million to the plaintiff and there can be no defense to that claim.”

“ Just as clear was that the amount was to be paid within the next 50 days from the date of the acknowledgement and undertaking.  Clear as well was that the payment was to come from proceeds of the decree in HCC CASE NO.507 of 2014.  It was also agreed that there would be a “top up” of USD 100,000,” the now Court of Appeal judge observed.

Similarly, Jirongo had a separate row with Bryan Yongo Otumba over Sh 15 million. In the case, Yongo was demanding Sh 35 million while Jirongo countered that the balance was Sh 8.15 million.

Yongo had at point applied for a warrant of arrest, saying he had not honoured its end of the bargain. However, Jirongo responded, saying that he would get the money back after the sale of 500 acres of land to Skypower PLC, or compensation by the county. Jirongo also eyed money from the sale of three plots in Eldoret, while at the same time a sale of 110 acres in Ruai to Carol Wamboi and others.

He was also angling for a loan which was being processed for a company known as Shale Investments from Equity Bank. In his response dated September 25, 2018, he said that he hoped that the money would land in his accounts within 30 days. They had a consent in court.

However, they stepped aside and sealed a deal without the involvement of their lawyers, and it was not recorded in court as a consent.

Justice Maureen Odiero said that Yongo could only pursue Jirongo based on the consent dated October 5, 2015, and not the letter he had produced in court. She dismissed the same with costs to Jirongo.

The former Minister for Rural Development died on December 13, 2025, at Naivasha following a tragic accident at Naivasha.

The death ushered in an untold story of his wealth and family life.

His family now estimates that KUZA, which he was a co-director alongside his wives Christine Nyokabi, Ann Kanini and Ann Lanoi, had liabilities worth Sh 3.9 billion.

Among those listed as creditors are Sam Nyamweya, who is owed Sh 50 million, a similar amount for Atwoli, Rachier, Sh 104 million, Khaniri Sh 163 million; Sundip, Sh 800 milliom, Theon Ali, Sh 350 million, Nyaoga Sh 18 million, Atul Sh 350 million, Sanjay 200 million, Minesh Sh 60 million, Jonathan Jackson Sh 200 million, Amayo Family Sh 200 million, Koyyoko Sh 100 milliom, Domenic Sh 100 million, Chege and Group 60 million.

There is also office purchase Sh 150 million, staff salaries Sh 39.7 million, Stanbic Bank debt as at May 17 last year, Sh 52.9 million, and purchase of Bisil land Sh 450 million.

 Jirongo was the majority shareholder of KUZA.

Court documents seen by The Standard on Saturday reveal that Jirongo was worth Sh 1 billion.

From the documents, the former politician owned the majority 350,000 shares of KUZA, and one share in Sololo Outlets Limited.

Jirongo co-owned Sololo with former Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) director Davi Koech.

It was in a long-standing court battle with Africa Planning and Design consultants and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) over Sh 150 million, which it claimed following construction of a housing project consisting of 100 four-bedroomed maisonettes, 320 two-bedroomed flats, recreational and shopping complex, nursery school and health clinic in South B. Justice Jaden Thuranira settled the 23-year-old case in 2017 with a Sh 10 million award.

In the case, Sololo was indicated to have been under receivership at the time.  It also denied having placed Sololo under receivership. Sololo, on the other hand, claimed it was a contractor developing the land for NSSF and its role was merely a contractor.

 He also had 60 per cent of  Offshore Trading Company Limited, a single car and one share in Kenagri Products Limited.

Offshore Trading was also separately involved in a long-standing battle over 1600-acre land in Ruai. From court documents, the firm claimed that it bought the property in 1993 and used it as security for a Sh 1.1 billion loan from Postbank Credit Limited, which collapsed later.

He used the Kenya Deposit Insurance Corporation (KDIC) after it advertised the land, estimated to be around Sh 7 billion for auction. Curiously, the then Interior Principal Karanja Kibicho gazetted the same as public land, owned by Nairobi County and Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company. The explanation was that the disputed land was intended for expansion of Nairobi’s sewer treatment plant.

Jirongo lost his case after Environment and Land Court Judge Oscar Angote threw it out.

After Kenya Kwanza took power, on December 15, 2023, the then Interior Cabinet Secretary Kindiki (current Deputy President) reversed Kibicho’s gazette notice by issuing a fresh one, indicating that the same was privately owned.

His family also indicated that his liabilities are Sh 39. 7 million, which is staff salaries.

 Jirongo died without a will.  From the estimation, and based on the consent of the family, each of the 30 children may become instant millionaires.

He had three wives- Kanini being the eldest. Her first house had three children, while Nyokabi had four with him. Lanoi had the largest family with Jirongo, with six children.

Outside the three houses, he had 17 children, with seven of them being under the age of 18.