Activist Boniface Mwangi has questioned why many Kenyans are mourning the late Cyrus Jirongo, insisting the public is ignoring a dark political past. He argues that grief is being weaponised to sanitise history rather than confront it.
Mwangi says Jirongo was part of Youth for KANU 1992, a group he describes as a violent political militia. According to him, the outfit existed to protect the Moi-era regime through intimidation and bloodshed.
He alleges the group bribed, maimed, and killed Kenyans who opposed the dictatorship during the struggle for multiparty democracy. Mwangi maintains these acts were not isolated excesses but a coordinated campaign of terror.
The activist insists that portraying Jirongo as a good man is dishonest and harmful to national memory. He says it insults victims who suffered violence, displacement, and long-term trauma.
Mwangi further claims that some political elites mourning Jirongo are the same people who benefited from repression. He accuses them of rewriting history to protect their own legacies.
In his remarks, Mwangi links past abuses to present governance. He alleges that President William Ruto, whom he describes as Jirongo’s former sidekick, is using similar Youth for KANU-style tactics in modern politics.
He argues that intimidation, propaganda, and political patronage remain tools of control. According to Mwangi, the methods may look refined, but the intent is unchanged.
The activist calls on Kenyans to resist emotional manipulation during moments of national mourning. He urges citizens to interrogate history before offering praise.
Mwangi says accountability must outlive death. He believes confronting uncomfortable truths is the only way Kenya can break cycles of political violence.
He concludes that mourning without honesty perpetuates injustice. For Mwangi, remembering victims matters more than glorifying powerful figures.
