Four people were killed in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Thursday after security forces fired shots and teargas to disperse huge crowds at a stadium where the body of deceased opposition leader Raila Odinga was lying in state, local media reported.
Odinga, a major figure for decades in Kenyan politics who was once a political prisoner and ran unsuccessfully for president five times, died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.
With thousands of his supporters on the streets from early morning, chaos erupted when a huge crowd breached a gate of Nairobi's main stadium, prompting soldiers to fire in the air, a Reuters witness said.
A police source told Reuters that two people were shot dead at the stadium. KTN News and Citizen TV later said the death toll had increased to four, with scores of people injured.
After security forces fired shots, police lobbed tear gas to disperse thousands of mourners, the two broadcasters showed, leaving the stadium deserted.
Earlier in the day, thousands of mourners briefly stormed Nairobi's international airport, interrupting a ceremony for President William Ruto and other officials to receive Odinga's body with military honours.
Kenyan security forces fired in the air and used tear gas to disperse thousands of mourners on Thursday at a stadium where deceased opposition leader Raila Odinga's body was on view.
With Odinga's supporters taking to the streets in his honour, President William Ruto and other officials went to the airport to receive his body with military honours.
But as the coffin was being removed from the plane's cargo, mourners waving twigs and flags - some on motorbikes - overran the airside, interrupting part of the ceremony, according to a Reuters reporter and footage.
The crowd later backed away from the plane, but the chaos prompted a two-hour suspension of airport operations.
Elsewhere, some Odinga supporters climbed on the gates of parliament, where the government had scheduled a public viewing of his body. The venue for that was changed to a Nairobi sports stadium, his party said.
Though mainly known as an opposition figure, Odinga did become prime minister in 2008 and also struck a political pact with Ruto last year in a career of shifting alliances.
He commanded passionate devotion among his Luo tribe, based in western Kenya, many of whom believe he was cheated of the presidency by electoral fraud.
Türkiye and Serbia agreed to expand cooperation across defence, foreign policy and economic relations following talks between President Recep Tayyip ...
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a...
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pr...
The Trump administration on Thursday finalised rules revoking the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, ...
The formation of a black hole can be quite a violent event, with a massive dying star blowing up and some of its remnants collapsing to form an except...
Türkiye and Serbia agreed to expand cooperation across defence, foreign policy and economic relations following talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Aleksandar Vučić in Ankara.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he “should be ashamed of himself”.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pressure on Russia and strengthen Kyiv’s battlefield position.
The Trump administration on Thursday finalised rules revoking the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a move that significantly reshapes long-standing U.S. climate policy.
James Van Der Beek, who rose to fame as Dawson Leery in the hit teen drama Dawson’s Creek, has died aged 48 following a battle with stage 3 colorectal cancer.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Trump hosted Netanyahu for closed-door talks focused on negotiations with Tehran, Gaza and wider rBenjamin Netanyahu ended a two-and-a-half-hour meeting at The White House on Wednesday without reaching agreement on how to move forward on Iran.
Mexican Alpine skier Lasse Gaxiola will have his mother for company on his Olympic debut but she will not be cheering him from the finish area in Saturday's giant slalom in Bormio because she will be three hours away preparing her own race.
The suspect in a deadly school shooting in western Canada was an 18-year-old woman who allegedly killed her mother and stepbrother before attacking her former school. Investigators have not provided a motive for what is being described as one of the worst mass killings in Canada.
Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid, who won bronze in the men’s biathlon at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday (10 February) in Italy, stunned viewers by publicly admitting he had cheated on his girlfriend and pleaded for another chance during post-race interviews.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Israeli President Isaac Herzog is “disgraceful” for not granting a pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that he “should be ashamed of himself”.
Ukraine’s allies have pledged nearly $48bn in military support at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, vowing to intensify pressure on Russia and strengthen Kyiv’s battlefield position.
Medical group accuses paramilitary force of targeting civilians in al-Kurqal area, urges international action to protect residents.
Day 6 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics brought fans and photographers unforgettable moments of athleticism, determination and sheer joy. From the ice rinks of Milan to the snowy slopes of Livigno, athletes pushed themselves to the limit delivering breathtaking performances.
U.S. border chief Tom Homan said on Thursday (12 February) a federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota will end after months of raids that led to more than 4,000 arrests, mass protests and two fatal shootings.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment