Tragedy at Raila Odinga's Funeral: Multiple Deaths as Kenyans Mourn Beloved Opposition Leader

Raila Odinga, 80, passed away following a suspected heart attack at a healthcare facility in India.

Two individuals died and dozens sustained injuries during a stampede at the state funeral of Kenya's beloved opposition leader Raila Odinga on Friday when crowds rushed forward to view his coffin, according to Doctors Without Borders.

This tragedy followed an incident just a day earlier when at least three people lost their lives after security forces fired into a crowd that had gathered to pay respects to Odinga at a separate ceremony.

The death of 80-year-old Odinga, who succumbed to a suspected heart attack at a medical clinic in southern India on Wednesday, triggered widespread grief throughout Kenya where many affectionately referred to him as "Baba" (father).

Friday's state funeral began peacefully at Nairobi's Nyayo stadium, with President William Ruto addressing mourners, saying Odinga "walked among us as a man but also charged among us as a movement for change, a movement for justice... for a better and greater Kenya."

Shortly thereafter, a surge of mourners attempting to approach the coffin on the field turned fatal.

AFP journalists witnessed people being trampled underfoot, resulting in broken bones and respiratory distress for some victims.

Medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) reported that emergency personnel "attended to 163 patients and referred 34 others for further care."

"Most injuries involved blunt trauma and fractures. Tragically, two lives were lost in the stampede," MSF stated.

Considered perhaps the most significant political figure of his generation in Kenya, Odinga served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 but never achieved the presidency despite five campaigns.

Nevertheless, he outlasted numerous rivals and is credited with playing a crucial role in restoring multi-party democracy to Kenya in the 1990s and overseeing the widely acclaimed constitution of 2010.

"I have freedom of speech because of Raila... I'm here because he is the father," stated Paul Oloo, a supporter attending the funeral.

Chaotic scenes also erupted on Thursday as Odinga's remains were repatriated from India and transported to another stadium on Nairobi's outskirts for public viewing.

When massive crowds pushed toward a VIP entrance, security forces opened fire, resulting in at least three fatalities, according to prominent human rights organization VOCAL Africa based on information from the city morgue.

It remains unclear whether security personnel fired directly into the crowd or utilized live ammunition. Autopsies are scheduled for Tuesday.

AFP met with families of victims at the city morgue on Friday and viewed photographs of bodies that appeared to show gunshot wounds.

"He was not disorderly in any way but he was shot," said the brother-in-law of victim Vincent Otieno Ogutu.

Another victim was identified as Evans Kiche. The third casualty has yet to be identified.

"The excessive use of force against mourners is totally unwarranted," stated Hussein Khalid, director of VOCAL Africa, at the morgue.

"We are calling on the police to exercise utmost restraint... We don't want to see more deaths associated with this funeral," he added.

Odinga's body will next be transported to western Kenya, his family's ancestral region, where additional large crowds are anticipated on Saturday, before a private burial service on Sunday.

His passing creates a leadership vacuum in the opposition, with no clear successor as Kenya approaches a potentially volatile election in 2027.