Kenya holds state funeral for opposition leader Odinga

________________

Kenya held a state funeral for revered opposition leader Raila Odinga in Nairobi on Friday, a day after security forces opened fire on huge mourning crowds, killing at least three.

Odinga, 80, died from a suspected heart attack at a health clinic in southern India on Wednesday, triggering a huge outpouring of grief across much of his home country.

Affectionately known as "Baba" (father), Odinga was arguably the most important political figure of his generation in Kenya.

Though he served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013, he never succeeded in winning the presidency despite five attempts.

▪️In pictures: Kenyans pay respects to Odinga at public viewing in Nairobi

Mourners and supporters of Kenya’s opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga chant slogans and hold a painting bearing his portrait as they gather ahead of his State Funeral at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on October 17, 2025. Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has died at the age of 80 during a health visit to India, local police said on October 15, 2025.

But he played a central role in returning the country to multi-party democracy in the 1990s and is credited as the main force behind a widely praised constitution passed in 2010.

There were chaotic scenes on Thursday as his body was repatriated from India and taken to a stadium on the outskirts of Nairobi to lie in state.

As huge crowds surged towards a VIP gate at one point, security forces opened fire, killing at least three people, according to prominent rights group VOCAL Africa.

It said on X that it had confirmed "three bodies from Kasarani (stadium) have been received this evening at City Mortuary".

Kenya's veteran politician Raila Odinga (C) addresses his supporters after he officially signed a political cooperation deal with President William Ruto in a bid to boost his presidency after months of turmoil, in Nairobi on March 7, 2025.

President William Ruto attended the state funeral on Friday at another Nairobi stadium, Nyayo, alongside regional dignataries including Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Odinga's body will then travel to western Kenya, his family's home region, where more huge crowds are expected on Saturday, before a private burial service on Sunday.

His death leaves a leadership vacuum in the opposition, with no obvious successor as Kenya heads into a potentially volatile election in 2027.