Nairobi (EFE).- Kenyan security forces fired tear gas and warning shots on Thursday to disperse tens of thousands of mourners gathered at Nairobi’s Kasarani Stadium for the public viewing of former Kenyan Prime Minister and opposition leader Raila Odinga (2008-2013), who died last week at 80 in a hospital in India.
The chaotic scenes erupted when part of the crowd, estimated at more than 60,000 people, tried to force its way into the VIP area, where Odinga’s body was kept under guard, according to local media.
Witnesses said some mourners began throwing chairs and stones at security officers, prompting police to open fire in the air and deploy tear gas, triggering panic and a brief stampede that emptied much of the stadium.
Tensions ease as ceremony resumes
Odinga’s body had arrived shortly before 2:30 pm after a four-hour procession from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where thousands had lined the roads to pay their respects.
Kenyan President William Ruto was already inside the stadium when the clashes broke out, alongside former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (2013-2022), Odinga’s family, and senior state officials.
Footage shared on social media showed at least one person lying on the ground with a head injury as others fled in panic.
Authorities have not confirmed any deaths or provided an official count of the injured.
After order was restored, chaplains led a brief indoor service where Ruto and other dignitaries viewed the body before it was moved outdoors to allow the public to bid farewell to Odinga, regarded by many Kenyans as a national hero.
National mourning for a divisive political giant
The late leader’s remains arrived earlier in the day at 9:40 am, amid chaotic scenes at the airport as supporters broke through security barriers in a rush to see the coffin, forcing authorities to suspend the official reception program and briefly halt flight operations.
Initially, the government had planned to display the body at Parliament, but the venue was changed to Kasarani Stadium after security forces failed to control the massive crowds that flooded central Nairobi and even climbed over parliamentary fences.
Kenya’s government declared seven days of national mourning following Odinga’s death on Wednesday after a cardiac arrest in southern India, where he was receiving medical treatment.
Odinga, leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), ran unsuccessfully for president in 1997, 2007, 2013, 2017, and 2022, and consistently alleged electoral fraud.
He served as Kenya’s prime minister between 2008 and 2013, a post created under a power-sharing deal to end the deadly post-election violence of 2007 that left more than 1,100 people dead and 600,000 displaced. EFE
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