As Kenya mourns the passing of veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga, thousands of supporters overwhelmed Nairobi’s international airport Thursday, disrupting the official arrival ceremony for his body. Odinga, aged 80, died Wednesday in India after collapsing during a walk.
The overwhelming response by mourners shows the depth of Odinga’s influence on not just Kenyan politics but also its people. It also shows both grief and communal respect. Known affectionately as “Baba”, he was a symbol of the struggle for multiparty democracy.
When the military aircraft carrying Odinga’s coffin touched down, President William Ruto and senior officials were on hand to receive it with full honours.
But as the coffin was unloaded from the plane’s cargo hold, hordes of mourners, some on motorbikes, others waving twigs and party flags, swamped past security, and overrunning the airside. The ensuing commotion prompted airport operations to halt for several hours as the coffin was moved.
Meanwhile, the public viewing that was originally planned for the parliamentary precinct was shifted to a sports stadium after supporters tried to scale the gates of Parliament.
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Thousands later converged on Nairobi’s stadium to pay their last respects to him. Many had not lived through the late 1980s or early 1990s, when Odinga was imprisoned under one‐party rule; yet they spoke of his role in shaping the freedoms they now enjoy.
University student Felix Ambani Uneck said, “He fought tirelessly for multiparty democracy, and we are enjoying those freedoms today because of his struggle.” Khahija Dennis, age 30, said he felt it was important to say goodbye in “a place that represents the people he loved.”
Though Odinga was often seen as the main opposition, his career was marked wasn’t just filled with only chapters that showed his opposition to majority. He served as Prime Minister in 2008 under a unity government and, more recently, struck a political understanding with President Ruto.
Supporters, especially from his Luo community in western Kenya, often believed he had been deprived of the presidency by electoral irregularities. His repeated presidential runs (five in all) and his struggles under regimes resistant to pluralism cemented Odinga’s reputation as a figure of resilience.
President Ruto, Kenyan president, has declared a seven‐day national mourning period. A state funeral is pending, with public viewings and ceremonies planned, including in Kisumu, and the burial expected in Odinga’s home area in Bondo. He was an exceptional man and the people of Kenya are showing that his philosophy wasn’t lost on them.