Kenyan police fire shots and tear gas to disperse crowds at Kasarani stadium
Huge crowds of mourners in Kenya ran away screaming after police used guns and tear gas at the stadium where they gathered to see the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
It was reported that many people were injured in the chaos that broke out in the arena in the capital Nairobi, as security guards tried to disperse the growing crowd.
It is not yet clear whether the police used live ammunition or rubber bullets.
Odinga’s body was brought back from India and he died there on Wednesday morning. Thousands of supporters had previously traveled to the country’s main airport to collect the coffin, but flights were briefly halted due to grief.
Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, leading to a “precautionary closure” that lasted about two hours.
Thousands of people left the airport in a cortege to escort the car carrying the body to the stadium, about 10 km (six miles) from the city centre.
Due to the unexpectedly large crowd, Odinga’s public viewing ceremony was moved to the Moi International Sports Center in Nairobi’s Kasarani district instead of the parliament building where it was originally planned to be held.
The convoy arrived at a packed stadium with more people waiting outside.
Minutes later, a large crowd breached the arena’s gate, prompting police to fire tear gas. The mourning masses rushed for the exits in response.
A BBC reporter at the scene also saw men in plainclothes beating protesters with batons.
The AFP news agency reported that at least three people were visibly injured and one had a serious head injury.
After the chaos calmed down, government officials and dignitaries had the opportunity to view the coffin.
Earlier, a group of supporters had gathered at Lee Funeral Home and around Parliament, where the body was first expected.
“I came here at six in the morning. We went to meet Baba at the airport. [Odinga’s nickname],” one mourner told the BBC near the airport.
“We are sorry, we are orphaned. He is our father.”
Motorcycle driver William Otieno Adoyo said he was a “strict Baba”.
“We want to see Baba, how do we know it is him in the coffin? If they show us, we will be pleased,” he told the BBC.
Mourners were carrying twigs and palm branches, symbols of mourning and grief among the Luo ethnic group to which Odinga belongs.
His state funeral will be held at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on Friday, and on Saturday his body will be transported to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria, his political stronghold.
The public will have the chance to view the body before it is buried at his farm in Bondo, about 60 km west of Kisumu, on Sunday.
According to the family, Odinga’s wish was to be buried as soon as possible, ideally within 72 hours.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and was taken to Kendiatha Hospital, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.
Seven days of mourning were declared. Kenyan President William Ruto said Odinga would be given a state funeral with full military honors.
He was a prominent figure in Kenyan politics and served as the country’s main opposition leader for many years, losing five presidential campaigns, the most recent three years ago.
Additional reporting by Akisa Wandera and Basillioh Rukanga in Nairobi
