NAIROBI, Kenya (FN) — Thousands of mourners stormed Nairobi’s international airport on Thursday, disrupting a ceremony for the late Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose body had just arrived from India. The chaos briefly suspended airport operations and forced changes to planned memorial events.
Odinga, 80, died Wednesday in India while receiving medical treatment. A towering figure in Kenyan politics, he was once a political prisoner and ran for president five times without success. His death has triggered an outpouring of grief across the country.
President William Ruto and senior officials were at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to receive Odinga’s body with military honors. But as the coffin was being removed from the plane, mourners waving flags and twigs — some arriving on motorbikes — surged past security barriers and onto the tarmac.
The crowd eventually retreated, but the disruption led to a two-hour suspension of airport operations, according to officials and eyewitnesses. Video footage showed mourners chanting and pressing toward the aircraft as security personnel struggled to maintain order.
Elsewhere in Nairobi, Odinga supporters attempted to breach the gates of parliament, where a public viewing of his body had been scheduled. The venue was later moved to a nearby sports stadium, his party announced.
Thousands of people made their way to the stadium on foot and motorbikes to pay their respects. Odinga, affectionately known as “Baba” — Swahili for “father” — was hailed as a champion of democracy and civil rights.
“He fought tirelessly for multi-party democracy, and we are enjoying those freedoms today because of his struggle,” said Felix Ambani Uneck, a university student who joined the crowds at the stadium.
Another mourner, Khahija Dennis, 30, said the public viewing was a chance for ordinary Kenyans to honor Odinga’s legacy. “It means more people, especially us who followed him from a distance, can finally say goodbye to Baba in a place that represents the people he loved,” he said.
Tensions briefly flared when a government vehicle struck a mourner near the stadium, prompting some in the crowd to throw stones before calm was restored.
Though best known as an opposition leader, Odinga served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 and forged shifting political alliances throughout his career. He retained deep loyalty among his Luo ethnic group, many of whom believe he was repeatedly denied the presidency through electoral fraud.
