Thousands of mourners attended a state funeral for Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga on Friday under heavy security after a deadly day that saw officers open fire to disperse crowds at a stadium hosting a public viewing of his body.
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.
He commanded a passionate following in the East African nation and huge crowds took to the streets from early Thursday, storming the country's main airport when the plane carrying his body arrived and later breaching a gate of the Nairobi stadium hosting the public viewing.
Security forces then fired in the air and police lobbed tear gas to disperse the crowd, according to a Reuters witness. Police said three people were killed, while KTN News and Citizen TV put the number of fatalities at four, with scores injured.
Kenyan authorities deployed heavy security on Friday, with police keeping crowds at a distance outside parliament, footage from local television and Ruto's office showed.
Odinga's body was taken to the parliament where it would lie in state before being taken to Nairobi's Nyayo National Stadium, with President William Ruto, heads of the parliament and the judiciary in attendance.
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was among the African dignitaries seen at the ceremony.
Thousands of mourners at the stadium were waving white handkerchiefs and dancing at the venue which was bedecked with large banners with Odinga's portrait. Others blew whistles and vuvuzelas in honour of the man they referred to as "Baba" ("Father" in Swahili).
The mourners, some of whom were not yet born in 1991 when Kenya became a multi-party democracy, paid tribute to Odinga's efforts as an activist.
"Raila Odinga, the father of democracy in Kenya, was a selfless leader who would risk everything - even his life - to make Kenya work," Jean Jerry Abeka, 24, told Reuters.
Though mainly known as an opposition figure, Odinga became prime minister in 2008 and also struck a political pact with former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, and with Ruto last year in a career of shifting alliances.
He commanded deep devotion among supporters countrywide, especially in his Luo tribe based in western Kenya, many of whom believe he was cheated of the presidency by electoral fraud.
Labour lawmaker Andy Burnham outlined a state-led economic vision expanding public control over services such as water and boosting regional growth ...
Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocument...
Iran and Oman have held the first meeting of a new joint committee to discuss the future management of the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a...
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U....
The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl say they have been left devastated after an Australian man was charged over her death in Pattaya....
Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocumented migrants submit residency applications before the scheme closes on Tuesday.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to 'stand down' and resume technical talks, allowing vessels allowed to move freely under the interim peace deal, a U.S. official said.
Russia’s greatest strategic asset is not only military power, but political will
The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl say they have been left devastated after an Australian man was charged over her death in Pattaya.
A tanker reported being struck by a projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, Britain's maritime security agency said, after the United States and Iran each launched strikes in the worst escalation since they signed their interim peace deal.
Fourteen people were killed on Sunday after a helicopter belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco crashed in Ras Tanura, according to Saudi state media.
Eleven people were killed when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Nancy in eastern France on Sunday, local officials said.
Rescue teams raced on Sunday to find more survivors of the two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela this week, with signs of life bringing occasional relief to a grim quest to whittle down a list of tens of thousands missing.
The United States and Iran have agreed to halt strikes against each other, in a potential breakthrough after weeks of escalating tensions. The two sides are expected to meet in Doha on Tuesday to address their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.
Labour lawmaker Andy Burnham outlined a state-led economic vision expanding public control over services such as water and boosting regional growth outside London, in his first speech in Manchester on Monday since returning to Westminster earlier in June.
Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocumented migrants submit residency applications before the scheme closes on Tuesday.
The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl say they have been left devastated after an Australian man was charged over her death in Pattaya.
One person was killed and another seriously injured on Sunday in a shooting at a popular entertainment spot in San Jose, California, that has been hosting a World Cup "fan zone" screening matches, police said.
Australia will introduce new laws in parliament on Monday to strengthen its under-16 social media ban and give its internet regulator more power to pursue tech giants in court for non-compliance.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment