Mourners briefly storm Nairobi Airport as Raila Odinga’s body returns to Kenya
Thousands of mourners flooded Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday, briefly disrupting a military ceremony for the late opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose body had just arrived from India.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics for decades and a five-time presidential candidate, died on Wednesday at age 80 while receiving medical treatment in India, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Crowds waving flags and branches surged past security barriers as Odinga’s coffin was being unloaded, forcing a temporary suspension of airport operations. President William Ruto and other officials were present to receive the body with full military honours.
Authorities later moved the planned public viewing from parliament to a Nairobi sports stadium, where thousands gathered to pay tribute to the man affectionately known as “Baba” (“father” in Swahili).
Odinga, a former prime minister and long-time pro-democracy campaigner, was celebrated for his role in Kenya’s transition to multi-party democracy in 1991. Despite never winning the presidency, he inspired generations of supporters who credit him with shaping modern Kenyan politics.
Tensions briefly flared near the stadium after a government vehicle struck a mourner, prompting some to throw stones before calm was restored.
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