‘We Are Orphans’: Kenyans Bid Farewell To Ex-PM Odinga In Home City

Tens of thousands of radical mourning the decease of erstwhile Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday filed past his unfastened coffin astatine a stadium successful his location metropolis of Kisumu – galore crying retired the operation “we are orphans” successful their grief.

“I person travel present to mourn an icon of Africa,” 1 mourner, Dixon Ochieng told the BBC.

The nationalist viewing of the revered 80-year-old, who died astatine an Indian infirmary connected Wednesday, has present concluded and his assemblage has been flown to his workplace for burial.

His widow Ida has appealed to those gathered determination to grieve successful a calm mode to debar the chaos that led to the deaths of astatine slightest 5 mourners astatine different events and near dozens injured astatine the Kisumu stadium earlier.
Odinga has a devotional pursuing successful his governmental heartland successful the westbound of the state – and earlier dawn people, aged and young, began arriving successful Kisumu, which lies connected the shores of Lake Victoria.
It is besides the portion from wherever Barack Obama’s Kenyan household hails and overnight the erstwhile US president posted his condolences connected X, calling Odinga a “true champion of democracy”.

“A kid of independence, helium endured decades of conflict and sacrifice for the broader origin of state and self-governance successful Kenya,” helium said.

Odinga was the country’s main absorption person for galore years, losing 5 statesmanlike campaigns, astir precocious 3 years ago. He repeatedly said helium was cheated of victory, citing the manipulation of votes.
Following the bloody and disputed 2007 election, helium became premier curate successful a unity government.

“Time and again, I personally saw him enactment the interests of his state up of his ain ambitions. Like fewer different leaders anywhere, helium was consenting to take the way of peaceful reconciliation without compromising his halfway values,” Obama said.

“Through his life, Raila Odinga acceptable an illustration not conscionable for Kenyans, but crossed Africa and astir the world.”