Cyrus Jirongo

In 1992 he led the Youth for Kanu '92 (YK '92) movement supporting the then ruling KANU party ahead of the first multiparty elections in Kenya.[3]

He became an MP at the 1997 elections, when he won the Lugari Constituency seat. Two years later he fell out with KANU and was associated with the unregistered United Democratic Movement party.[4] Nevertheless, ahead of the 2002 elections, he was appointed the Rural Development Minister.[5] At the elections he represented KANU but was defeated by Enoch Kibunguchy of NARC.[6]

He formed a new political party known as Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU) and successfully reclaimed the Lugari Constituency seat at the 2007 elections. The elections were followed by political crisis in Kenya which was resolved by a broad coalition government. KADDU is the only parliamentary party not taking part in the government and Jirongo is the sole MP for the party.[7] In his bid to become Kenya's fourth president, he had been identified with the URP and more recently New FORD-Kenya, before formally joining the Federal Party of Kenya [8][9][10]

Jirongo declared an interest in running for the Kenya Presidential seat in the 2013 Kenyan Presidential election. He eventually opted to run for the Kakamega County Senate seat and support the right Hon. Raila Odinga's bid for the presidency. He lost the bid to Dr. Bonny Khalwale.[11]

In the 2017 Kenyan general elections Jirongo vied for the presidency under the United Democratic Party. He garnered approximately 11,000 votes which were 0.07% of the total votes in the elections.[12]

The United Democratic Party contested the 2022 Kenyan general election as part of Azimio La Umoja, and elected two MPs. Jirongo congratulated William Ruto on his victory.[13]