Calamity Hits as Four Die During Mourning for Kenyan Opposition Leader Raila Odinga
A quartet of persons were killed in Nairobi when law enforcement shot and used teargas to break up huge gatherings at a venue where statesman Raila Odinga's remains was on public view.
National Leader Honored
The statesman, who was a major force in the nation's political landscape for decades, succumbed on midweek at age 80 while in hospital care in the Asian nation.
He campaigned vigorously for political pluralism, and we are enjoying those freedoms today because of his efforts.
Chaos Breaks Out at Arena
Countless supporters gathered on roadways from dawn, with mayhem breaking out when a large crowd forced open a entrance at Nairobi's main stadium, prompting armed forces to discharge weapons upward.
- A pair of persons lost their lives to gunfire at the stadium
- Death toll subsequently increased to 4
- Many persons got wounded
- Authorities employed irritants to clear numerous mourners
Aviation Hub Event and Government Building Confrontation
During the morning, thousands of mourners temporarily invaded the capital's aviation hub, disrupting a official event where the head of state and other officials were welcoming Odinga's body with military honors.
This incident caused a two-hour suspension of airport operations.
Crowds also flooded nearby roads and tried to enter parliament, where the government had originally scheduled the public viewing.
Political Legacy and Community Support
Though mainly known as an opposition figure, Odinga assumed the role of prime minister in 2008 and also formed a alliance with the president last year in a public service marked by changing partnerships.
He generated passionate devotion among supporters, especially in his Luo community based in western Kenya, many of whom maintain he was prevented from obtaining the nation's leadership by electoral fraud.
Countless of Odinga's mourners, who were unborn in 1991 when Kenya established itself as a multi-faction governance, offered homage to Odinga's contributions as an advocate.