- Cyrus Jirongo met President Moi over claims of toxic waste dumping in North Eastern Kenya.
- He presented a document detailing the alleged dumping sites.
- Moi demanded to know the source, leading to a heated argument at State House.
- Security officers intervened several times due to the intensity of the exchange.
The late former Lugari Member of Parliament, Cyrus Jirongo, has previously revealed details of a tense confrontation he once had with former President Daniel Arap Moi at State House, despite being one of the most powerful young figures within Moi’s inner circle.
Jirongo, who was the leader of Youth for KANU ’92 (YK’92) powerful outfit that campaigned for Moi’s re-election during the early 1990s multiparty era, made the revelation while speaking to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna on Thee Alfa House Podcast.
According to the late former Cabinet minister, the confrontation stemmed from reports that toxic waste was being dumped in North-Eastern Kenya.
Jirongo said he obtained a document detailing where the waste was allegedly being disposed of, prompting him to personally seek an audience with President Moi.
“There were rumours that toxic waste was being dumped in North Eastern Kenya, and people knew I dared to confront the leadership of the time, including President Moi. A friend of mine gave me a document proving where the toxic waste was dumped. I immediately picked up the phone and called Mzee Moi, requesting a meeting with him,” Jirongo said.
He went to the State House, accompanied by a few friends, carrying the document he believed exposed a serious national threat.
Jirongo said he expected the President to welcome the information, but was instead stunned by Moi’s response.
“When I passed the document to President Moi, I expected him to be very excited. The reaction I got was very different. He asked me, ‘Where did you find this document?’” Jirongo narrated.
He said he reminded Moi that leaders had always instructed their allies never to disclose their sources and insisted the President had the machinery to verify the claims himself.
“I told him that he was the one who had instructed us never to reveal the source of our information. I told him that he had the power and the system to investigate and find out whether it was true or not,” he added.
According to Jirongo, the exchange quickly turned hostile, with Moi demanding to know the source of the document and insisting Jirongo would not leave State House until he disclosed it.
The confrontation became so heated that the President reportedly lost his temper, prompting security officers to repeatedly knock on the door.
“The argument went on, and it was so heated that the President’s security started knocking on the door, thinking I was a madman fighting the President. They kept opening the door to check what was happening because Moi had hit the roof,” Jirongo recalled.
He maintained that he had committed no offence and was only trying to protect Kenyans from harm.
Jirongo said the meeting ended with a stern warning from President Moi.
“He warned me that if he heard about the document anywhere else, he would deal with me thoroughly,” Jirongo said.
In hindsight, Jirongo believed that, despite acting in the nation’s interest, he may have reported something the President was already aware of.
“I thought I was doing good for the country, yet I was only reporting what he was already aware of,” he added.
Jirongo revealed that the day after the State House meeting, he was summoned to the DCI offices, where detectives questioned him about the matter.
However, he said he remained defiant and refused to reveal what he had discussed with the President.
The incident remains one of the most striking examples of how even Moi’s trusted allies could find themselves on the receiving end of his wrath, especially when sensitive national matters were involved.
