Explainer on torch burial ritual invoked at Jirongo’s mass amid lingering doubts

Tributes flowed at the requiem mass of former Lugari Member of parliament, Cyrus Jirongo with politicians painting demanding answers.

Seasoned powerbrokers and politicians who attended the requiem mass eulogised Jirongo as a bold strategist and a fearless mobiliser whose legacy continues to spark debate even as the nation bids him farewell.

Many who traced their political awakening to his mentorship recounted how the deceased was a consequential actor in Kenya’s political story with influence across generations, and commitment to the nation’s progress.

Moses Kuria paid his tributes to Jirongo, touching on their political journey and adding his voice to calls for thorough investigations to establish the truth on how the latter met his death.

Expressing his own doubts, Kuria offered to buy a torch should those organising the burial decide to bury the politician with one.

The family of the deceased politician has not pronounced itself on the matter, but his allies who suspect foul play have been clear in their demand for the truth to be established and have made it known that they are open to any means including burying him with a torch.

The ritual gained prominence during the burial of slain businessman Jacob Juma who was gunned down in Nairobi in 2018.

In addition to performing rituals to avenge Juma’s death, elders of his Batura clan Juma made the decision to bury the slain businessman with a lit torch and a knife.

According to persons familiar with the tradition, burying a murdered person with a knife and a torch is to facilitate them to hunt for the killers from the spirit world and exercise revenge.

The torch makes it possible for the hunt to continue at any time, day or night with the knife coming in handy upon meeting the killers.

Those who believe in the ritual hold it that the climax of the hunt from the spirit world is the torch going off, a development that should come with the killers suffering a huge personal loss such as death or running mad.

Former Vihiga Senator George Khaniri questioned whether one of the best technologies in motor vehicle safety failed .

According to Khaniri, the vehicle in which Jirongo was travelling in had 12 airbags that should have deployed on impact.

Surprisingly, none of the airbags deployed during the head-on collision making him question whether the vehicle had been placed on the path of the bus with the engine not running.

Khaniri also questioned the absence of witnesses in the bus involved in the accident which according to the driver, had 65 passengers on board but none of them took photos of the crash or shared their account.

People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua eulogised Jirongo as an open-minded and loving politician who welcomed all.

Karua added that prior to his tragic death, she was working with Jirongo on a possible political collaboration similar to the one in 2022 when Jirongo supported the Azimio la Umoja candidate, the late Raila Odinga.

The former Gichugu MP revealed that Jirongo had expressed fears over his live in the days leading to his tragic death and had plans of revamping his security detail.

Sadly, tragedy struck before he could do this, leaving many questions unanswered as investigations continue.