Chaos feared as Odinga’s body arrives at packed stadium in west Kenya

Vast crowds gathered successful occidental Kenya connected Saturday to spot the assemblage of a beloved politician, Raila Odinga, for the biggest time of mourning ceremonies that person already claimed astatine slightest 5 lives this week.

There were cries of “Baba” (father) and “We are orphans” among the tens of thousands who packed the streets successful Kisumu, the heartland of Odinga’s support, arsenic his coffin arrived by helicopter.

Odinga, 80, died from a suspected bosom onslaught successful India connected Wednesday, triggering a immense outpouring of grief crossed the country, but peculiarly successful occidental Kenya wherever his Luo people are dominant.

There were contiguous signs of chaos arsenic his coffin approached the stadium successful Kisumu, with a immense radical of mourners breaching a information gross and clambering implicit walls, AFP journalists saw.

“Without Baba, we are dead. We don’t person anyplace to go,” said Don Pelido, 20, a protagonist pressed up against 1 barrier.

Many feared Saturday’s ceremonial could crook deadly, fixed the mayhem astatine memorials successful Nairobi this week.

On Thursday, information forces opened occurrence to disperse a surging assemblage successful a Nairobi stadium wherever Odinga was brought to prevarication successful state, sidesplitting astatine slightest 3 people.

And connected Friday, astatine the authorities ceremonial successful different stadium, led by President William Ruto, a stampede of mourners killed astatine slightest 2 radical and near dozens injured.

• Uncertain aboriginal –

Arguably the astir important governmental fig of his procreation successful Kenya, Odinga served arsenic premier curate from 2008 to 2013 yet ne'er succeeded successful winning the presidency contempt 5 attempts.

But helium outlasted galore rivals and is credited arsenic a large subordinate successful returning Kenya to multi-party ideology successful the 1990s and overseeing the wide praised constitution of 2010.

Odinga’s assemblage was repatriated from India connected Thursday.

After lying successful authorities successful Kisumu connected Saturday, the assemblage volition spell to Bondo successful adjacent Siaya county, the family’s ancestral seat, for a backstage burial.

Odinga’s decease leaves a enactment vacuum successful the opposition, with critics accusing him of failing to hole a successor.

“We person not accepted that helium is truly gone. It is inactive a atrocious dream,” said store proprietor Maureen Owesi, 39, successful Kisumu.

Odinga’s pragmatic deals with rivals — including existent president Ruto past twelvemonth — outgo him enactment among young voters who person staged wide protests implicit the past 2 years implicit mediocre governance and the economy.

It is unclear whether Odinga’s question and the confederation with Ruto volition past his death, leaving Kenya connected an uncertain way up of perchance volatile elections successful 2027.
AFP

The station Chaos feared arsenic Odinga’s assemblage arrives astatine packed stadium successful westbound Kenya appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.