Disaster Occurs as Four Die During Mourning for Kenya's Political Figure Raila Odinga
Four people perished in Kenya's capital when law enforcement shot and deployed teargas to break up massive crowds at a venue where statesman Raila Odinga's remains was lying in state.
National Leader Remembered
The politician, who had been a prominent player in the nation's political landscape for decades, passed away on that day at 80 years old while in hospital care in India.
He fought tirelessly for political pluralism, and we benefit from those rights today because of his struggle.
Chaos Unfolds at Venue
Numerous devotees congregated on the streets from early morning, with chaos breaking out when massive group forced open a gate at Nairobi's main stadium, leading to military personnel to shoot skyward.
- A pair of persons were shot dead at the location
- Casualties later rose to 4
- Scores of individuals were hurt
- Law enforcement deployed chemical agents to disperse countless mourners
Airport Event and Parliament Situation
During the morning, thousands of supporters briefly stormed the city's air terminal, disrupting a ceremony where President William Ruto and dignitaries were receiving Odinga's body with military honors.
This incident led to a brief stoppage of airport operations.
Groups also overwhelmed adjacent streets and tried to enter the government complex, where the authorities had originally scheduled the public viewing.
National Heritage and Ethnic Support
While predominantly identified as an government critic, Odinga served as head of government in 2008 and also struck a alliance with Ruto last year in a career defined by evolving coalitions.
He generated passionate devotion among supporters, especially in his ethnic group based in the country's west, many of whom maintain he was prevented from obtaining the presidency by electoral fraud.
Many of Odinga's supporters, who were not yet born in 1991 when Kenya became a multi-party democracy, expressed respect to Odinga's work as an activist.