Four people were killed in Nairobi on Thursday after security forces fired shots and tear gas to push back huge crowds at a stadium where the body of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga lay in state, according to local media reports. A police source earlier told Reuters two people were shot dead, with the toll later raised to four by Kenyan broadcasters.
Odinga, 80, a towering figure in Kenyan politics who served as prime minister and lost five presidential bids, died in India on Wednesday while receiving treatment.
Chaos erupted when mourners breached a gate at Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre, prompting soldiers to fire warning shots as police lobbed tear gas, witnesses said. Footage showed crowds scattering from the stands and forecourt as security forces moved in.
Earlier, thousands had swarmed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to receive the coffin, forcing a two-hour suspension of airport operations. The public viewing was shifted from parliament to the larger stadium to accommodate the surge.
Odinga’s supporters—many waving twigs and flags—also thronged roads near parliament. Admirers praised his role in Kenya’s multi-party democracy, while critics noted his shifting alliances over decades in public life.
Authorities later reopened the stadium for dignitaries and the public to pay their respects. State funeral events are scheduled through the weekend, with burial planned in Odinga’s western Kenya home county.