Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has paid tribute to former Kenyan Cabinet minister and Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, who passed away in a road accident on December 13, 2025. Museveni revealed that he had only recently learnt of Jirongo's death, despite it occurring about nine months ago. He described Jirongo as "a good and patriotic leader who served his country with dedication" and sent condolences to his family, relatives, friends, and Kenyans.
Museveni's tribute comes a day after he publicly disclosed the role Jirongo allegedly played in changing Uganda's petroleum procurement arrangements. On September 17, during the groundbreaking ceremony for a 320-million-litre petroleum storage terminal in Mpigi District, Museveni said an unnamed Kenyan senator had alerted him around 2019 that Uganda was buying petroleum products through Kenyan middlemen.
Museveni later identified the politician as Jirongo, saying he immediately instructed the then Ugandan Energy Minister Irene Muloni to address the matter. According to Museveni, the arrangement eventually changed, with Uganda moving towards direct procurement from bulk suppliers. This change led to a significant reduction in fuel prices, with diesel falling from $118 to $83 per metric tonne, petrol from $97.50 to $61.50, and aviation fuel from $114.25 to $79.25.
Museveni said that by 2023, Uganda had linked up with Vitol, a global bulk supplier, and that the new arrangement allowed Uganda to use Kenya's oil pipeline infrastructure. He also thanked Kenyan President William Ruto for his role in facilitating the change. Uganda subsequently sought to give the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) a greater role in directly importing petroleum products through Kenya.
However, Kenya's Ministry of Energy has disputed Museveni's account of the Government-to-Government fuel arrangement. Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi said Kenya's arrangement with international oil companies was developed in 2023 to address liquidity challenges arising from dollar shortages. Wandayi said the arrangement involved Aramco Trading Fujairah FZE, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Global Trading Ltd, and Emirates National Oil Company (Singapore) Private Limited.
Wandayi also stated that the international oil companies subsequently appointed licensed Kenyan counterparties for local supply logistics, including Gulf Energy, Galana Energies, and Oryx Energies Kenya. As the arrangement progressed, more counterparties were nominated, including One Petroleum, Asharami Synergy, and BE Energy. Jirongo died in a road accident along the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway in the Karai area of Naivasha.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the crash but later stated that preliminary findings indicated a road traffic accident, with no evidence pointing to foul play at that stage. KEY_POINT: Museveni credits Jirongo with alerting him to Uganda's use of middlemen in petroleum imports. KEY_POINT: Kenya disputes Museveni's account of the Government-to-Government fuel arrangement. KEY_POINT: Jirongo died in a road accident on December 13, 2025.
