Oparanya leads Western leaders in cattle donation to Jirongo family
By Mustafa Juma, December 29, 2025Former Kakamega Governor and Cabinet Secretary for Cooperatives and MSME Development Wycliffe Oparanya, on Monday, December 29, 2025, paid a condolence visit to the home of the late businessman and former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo in Lumakanda, Kakamega County.
Opranya delivered a herd of cattle as a traditional gesture of sympathy and solidarity with the bereaved family.
In a statement shared via his official X account after the visit, Oparanya said the donation symbolised unity and shared grief among leaders and residents of the Western region following Jirongo’s death.
He was accompanied by several leaders, including Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda, Navakholo Member of Parliament (MP) Emmanuel Wangwe, and his Lugari counterpart Nabii Nabwera.
“Earlier today, I visited the home of the late Cyrus Jirongo in Lumakanda, where I delivered a herd of cattle as a gesture of condolence and solidarity with the bereaved family during this difficult moment. I was accompanied by leaders from the Western Region, including Hon. Elsie Muhanda, Hon. Emmanuel Wangwe, and Hon. Nabii Nabwera,” Oparanya stated.
Khalwale delivers a bull
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale also delivered to Jirongo’s Lumakanda home a bull christened Jirongo.
In a video shared via his official social media accounts, Khalwale is seen donning traditional attire, with a spear, as he practises how he would deliver the bull to the Jirongo’s home.
Jirongo’s burial rituals
Former Westlands MP Fred Gumo, who chairs the funeral committee of Jirongo, has, however, publicly rejected the involvement of Tiriki elders in certain funeral traditions, insisting that Jirongo’s family should follow their own customs and not be pressured into unfamiliar rituals.
Speaking on Sunday, December 28, 2025, as Jirongo’s body arrived at his Kitale home, Gumo emphasised that the late politician’s immediate family, including his children and grandchildren, should have the first say in how the funeral rites are conducted.
“Let us not mistreat Cyrus. Hapa ni kwake. Tulikuwa airport, wakatuletea hii maneno ati wazee wamekaa huko wakasema lazima wafungue gate ingine. Mimi mwenyewe niliwakataza, wakasema ati kama Cyrus haingilii kule nyuma, wataenda. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any elders from here, but anyway, vile sasa mimi najua, Cyrus is not a child; ako na boma yake na watoto wake, na wajukuu,” Gumo said.
Jirongo, a former political broker and businessman, died in a road accident along the Nakuru–Naivasha highway. His death has drawn national attention, with leaders across the political divide calling for transparency as burial preparations continue. He is set to be laid to rest at his Lumakanda home on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.