Dozens Hurt in Stampede at Raila Odinga Kisumu Memorial; Police Fire to Disperse Crowds

KISUMU, KENYA – A day of mourning for fallen Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga turned tragic on Saturday after a crush of massive crowds at a memorial service in Kisumu left dozens of mourners injured, with some in critical condition.1The incident occurred at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in Kisumu, the heartland of Odinga’s political base in western Kenya. A Kenyan Red Cross official confirmed to Reuters that numerous individuals were hurt as crowds swelled and mourners pushed one another.

A local newspaper, The Standard, had reported on X (formerly Twitter) that hundreds were injured.The chaos in Kisumu follows a violent incident at Odinga’s state funeral in Nairobi on Friday, where the aid group Doctors Without Borders reported two people were killed and over 160 were injured. A Week of Deadly MemorialsThe latest incident underscores the intense public emotion following Odinga’s death on Wednesday at the age of 80 while receiving medical treatment in India.

On Thursday, a public viewing of his body in Nairobi also turned deadly. Police officers were forced to open fire to disperse huge crowds after mourners breached a gate at the stadium hosting the ceremony, an event that resulted in three deaths, according to police reports.Odinga, a major figure in Kenyan politics for decades, was a charismatic leader who commanded a passionate following across the East African nation. He was a former political prisoner and ran unsuccessfully for president five times.

Following the incident in Kisumu on Saturday, where large crowds were seen crying, waving flags, and scuffling, the planned road procession carrying his body to his Bondo homestead was cancelled.8 The body will now be flown directly to Bondo for his final rites.SEO Meta DataFieldValueTitle TagMeta DescriptionKeywords