Raila Odinga’s Public Viewing Turns Deadly As Police Shoots 3 Mourners Dead

Three people were reportedly shot and killed by police at Nairobi’s Kasarani International Stadium after chaos broke out during the public viewing of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s body.

The 48,000-seat stadium was packed with thousands of mourners who had gathered to pay their final respects to the veteran opposition leader, whose sudden death in India on Wednesday plunged the nation into mourning.

Tensions flared when a restless crowd surged past security barriers, attempting to get closer to the casket. According to witnesses, police responded with live bullets and tear gas. Live footage aired on local media showed panicked mourners fleeing in all directions as gunfire rang through the stadium. In the confusion, some individuals hurled stones at officers, leading to chaotic running battles inside and outside the venue.

Part of the crowd reportedly tried to storm the presidential dais, where President William Ruto and other national leaders had assembled for the viewing.

Earlier in the day, security personnel had already clashed with crowds, firing tear gas at impatient mourners who refused to adhere to crowd-control protocols. Despite a strong deployment of both police and military forces, authorities struggled to contain the massive turnout.

The capital had been steeped in sorrow since morning, as Odinga’s body—draped in the national flag—was flown into the country and solemnly received by senior government officials and family members at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Operations at JKIA were briefly halted for nearly two hours when mourners broke through security and entered restricted areas to glimpse the arriving casket. The Kenya Airports Authority later confirmed a “precautionary closure” had been implemented, with services resuming soon after.

Due to the overwhelming crowds, the government made a last-minute decision to relocate the public viewing from Parliament Buildings to Kasarani Stadium.

“At first, everything was set at Parliament Buildings, but the crowd was simply uncontrollable,” a senior official at Lee Funeral Home told journalists. “The mortician and his team have now left in a military van for Kasarani.”

By dawn, long queues had already formed along Parliament Road and City Hall Way. Eager mourners were seen attempting to scale perimeter walls, desperate for a glimpse of the national icon’s body.

President Ruto, along with members of the Odinga family and various dignitaries, was scheduled to lead the initial viewing before opening it to the public.

A seven-day period of national mourning has been declared in honor of Odinga, 80, a political titan who played a pivotal role in shaping Kenya’s multi-party democracy.

President Ruto also confirmed that Odinga would receive a state funeral with full military honors. The main service is set for Friday at Nyayo National Stadium, followed by a procession to Kisumu, his longtime political stronghold, on Saturday.

Members of the public will get a final opportunity to view the body before his burial on Sunday at his ancestral home in Bondo, approximately 60 kilometers west of Kisumu.

Family sources say Odinga collapsed during a morning walk in Kerala, India, and was pronounced dead at Devamatha Hospital, around 50 kilometers from the port city of Kochi.

He had reportedly wished to be buried within 72 hours of his death—a request the family and government are striving to fulfill despite logistical hurdles.