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There was chaos in kenyan after the capital nairobi Police fired on mourners People gathered to see the mortal remains of the former Prime Minister Raila OdingaIn which three people are reported killed.
A huge crowd broke down the gates of the football stadium hosting the public viewing on Thursday, as many of them surrounded the procession carrying Odinga’s body from the country’s main airport to the venue.
Police reportedly fired at the mourners and used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd. Dramatic footage of the deadly incident shows terrified mourners running for cover, many of them climbing onto seats. Gunshots could be heard in the background and smoke, believed to be tear gas, spread into the crowd.
And there were even more chaotic scenes on Friday, with several mourners injured in a stampede at Odinga’s state funeral as they sought to pay tribute to the former prime minister. A source at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi told Reuters that at least 17 people were treated for injuries.
Authorities deployed heavy security to keep the crowd away from parliament, where Odinga’s body lay briefly before being taken to the Nyayo National Stadium – a separate location from Thursday’s public viewing.
Ceremonial guards and a military band led the procession, while mourners lined the route, waving national flags, olive branches and twigs in a final salute to the late opposition leader.
Police said on Friday that three people had been killed in the incident a day earlier, while local media put the death toll at four. Kenyan police operations chief Adamson Bungei confirmed the shooting and described the incident as a “confrontation”, although it was unclear how the violence started.
Odinga, a prominent Kenyan political figure, died on Wednesday at the age of 80 in India, where he was undergoing treatment. He ran for President of Kenya five times over the course of three decades, often with enough support to make it seem like victory was within his reach.
Although he never achieved the presidency, many considered him a respected politician and a prominent figure whose activism played an important role. Guiding Kenya towards multi-party democracy,
Kenyan President William Ruto, who won the 2022 election against Odinga, paid tribute to “a man who gave everything for his country”.
Ruto, who in recent years reconciled with his longtime rival and signed a political pact with him to appoint opposition members to cabinet, described Odinga as “the cornerstone of Kenya’s democracy.”
“Neither did I know that one day we would find ourselves on opposite sides, nor could I have imagined that years later he would stand by my side to help me stabilize the country and strengthen my leadership,” he told a packed stadium.
“Baba, I am indebted to you,” he said, using the Swahili word for father, as he was affectionately known as Odinga.
The President sang American singer Harry Belafonte’s Jamaica Farewell, a song widely considered to be one of Odinga’s favorite songs, to the crowd and guests.
Ruto declared seven days of national mourning for Odinga, with another public demonstration to be held on Saturday in the western county of Kisumu, close to Odinga’s rural home.