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At least two people were shot dead in Nairobi on Thursday, October 16, after Kenyan security forces opened fire to disperse crowds gathered at a stadium hosting the public viewing of deceased opposition leader Raila Odinga’s body.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics for decades — once a political prisoner and a five-time presidential candidate — died on Wednesday, October 15, at the age of 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
Thousands of his supporters flooded the streets from early morning to witness the arrival of his body in Kenya.
Chaos broke out when a large crowd breached one of the gates at the Nairobi sports arena, prompting soldiers to fire into the air.
A police source told Reuters that two people were fatally shot at the stadium.
Following the gunfire, police also fired tear gas to disperse the massive crowd of mourners, according to local broadcasters. The stadium was left deserted shortly afterward.
Earlier in the day, thousands of mourners had briefly stormed Nairobi’s international airport, interrupting a ceremony where President William Ruto and other officials were receiving Odinga’s body with full military honours.
The incident forced airport operations to be suspended for about two hours.
Crowds also flooded nearby roads and attempted to breach parliament grounds, where the government had initially planned to hold the public viewing.
