Chaos erupts at Odinga memorial in Nairobi

Kenyan security forces fired warning shots and deployed tear gas to disperse thousands of mourners who had packed Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani to view the body of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, who died in India at age 80 while receiving medical treatment.

Odinga’s body arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and was met by vast crowds that briefly disrupted arrival ceremonies and forced temporary suspension of some airport operations. Organisers moved a planned parliamentary viewing to the 60,000‑capacity stadium after turnout far exceeded expectations. As mourners surged into the arena, parts of the crowd breached a gate, prompting soldiers to fire into the air and police to use tear gas to push back those pressing forward. The security response sparked panic and a crush near exits; local rights groups and media reported multiple deaths and dozens of injuries, with Vocal Africa saying three people with gunshot wounds were taken to the city’s main mortuary. Authorities gave differing immediate accounts about whether live rounds or less‑lethal ammunition had been used.

Before public viewing began, President William Ruto and other dignitaries paid respects at the open coffin. Thousands of supporters, many carrying branches and palm fronds as mourning symbols, filed past the casket and escorted the convoy from the airport to the stadium. Earlier, some supporters had climbed gates near parliament and briefly breached restricted areas at the airport in efforts to see Odinga’s body.

Odinga was a towering and at times polarising figure in Kenyan politics: once a political prisoner, he ran unsuccessfully for president five times and remained the country’s most prominent opposition leader for decades. His family said he collapsed during a morning walk in India and was taken to a hospital near Kochi, where he later died. A period of national mourning was declared and authorities planned to transport the body to Kisumu for further public viewings before burial in Bondo.

As ceremonies continued, officials completed a viewing for dignitaries and allowed limited public access outside the stadium gates while security forces worked to restore order. Rights groups and some media called for independent investigations into the events that led to the deaths and injuries amid the chaotic scenes at the stadium and the airport.