Chaos as Kenyan Security Forces Disperse Raila Odinga Mourners with Tear Gas at Nairobi Stadium

NAIROBI, KENYA — The public viewing for the late Kenyan opposition giant, Raila Odinga, descended into chaos on Thursday as surging crowds overwhelmed security forces at a Nairobi sports arena, prompting soldiers to fire into the air and police to use tear gas to disperse mourners.

The disruption occurred at the Nairobi stadium where Odinga’s body had been transported for public homage, following an earlier venue change from the Parliament due to the sheer volume of crowds. A Reuters witness at the scene reported that the chaos erupted after a massive crowd breached a gate of the sports arena. Footage from local media (KTN News and Citizen TV) showed clouds of tear gas scattering the thousands who had gathered, leaving the stadium deserted.

The stadium incident was the second major disruption of the day, underscoring the intense, passionate devotion Odinga commanded.

Earlier, thousands of mourners briefly stormed Nairobi’s international airport upon the arrival of the former Prime Minister’s body from India, interrupting a ceremony where President William Ruto and other officials were to receive Odinga’s body with military honors. The airport operations were temporarily suspended for two hours to restore order.

Crowds also attempted to breach the gates of the Parliament, the government’s initial location for the public viewing, before the venue was hastily changed to the more spacious stadium.Odinga, who died in India on Wednesday at the age of 80, was a colossal figure in Kenyan politics for decades. He was a former political prisoner who ran unsuccessfully for president five times, with many of his staunch supporters, particularly from his Luo tribe in western Kenya, believing he was cheated of the presidency by electoral fraud.

Despite his prominent role as an opposition leader, his career was marked by shifting alliances, including a tenure as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and a political pact struck with his rival, President Ruto, just last year.

Mourners paid tribute to Odinga’s enduring legacy as an activist who fought tirelessly for democratic freedoms. “He fought tirelessly for multi-party democracy, and we are enjoying those freedoms today because of his struggle,” said university student Felix Ambani Uneck, speaking for a generation that benefits from the reforms Odinga championed.