Three killed after Kenyan security forces fire on crowds mourning opposition leader

Police reportedly fired at the mourners and used tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowds. Dramatic footage of the deadly incident showed panicked mourners running for cover, with many clambering up the seats. Gunfire could be heard ringing out in the background as smoke, believed to be from tear gas, spread across the crowds.

And there have been further chaotic scenes on Friday, with a number of mourners injured in a stampede at Odinga’s state funeral as they sought to pay tribute to the former prime minister.

Authorities deployed heavy security to keep crowds away from parliament, where Odinga's body was placed for a brief lying-in-state before being taken to the Nyayo National Stadium - a different venue from Thursday’s public viewing.

Ceremonial guards and a military band led the procession as mourners lined the route, waving national flags, olive branches and twigs in a final salute to the late opposition leader.

Police on Friday said three people were killed in the incident the day before, while local media put the number of fatalities at four. Kenya’s head of police operations, Adamson Bungei, confirmed the shooting and described the incident as a “confrontation”, although it remains unclear how the violence began.

Odinga was a giant political figure in Kenya who died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he was receiving medical treatment. He ran for Kenya’s presidency five times over the course of three decades, often with enough backing to make victory seem within reach.

Although he never secured the presidency, many regarded him as a respected statesman and a key figure whose activism played a crucial role in guiding Kenya toward a multi-party democracy.

Kenyan president William Ruto, who won the 2022 election against Odinga , led tributes to “a man who gave everything for his country”.

Ruto, who in recent years reconciled with his long-time rival and signed a political pact with him to appoint opposition members to the cabinet, described Odinga as “a cornerstone of Kenya’s democracy”.

“I neither knew that one day we would find ourselves on opposite sides, nor could I have imagined that years later he would stand by me to steady the nation and to help me anchor my leadership,” he told the packed stadium. “Baba, I owe you.”

The president sang Jamaican Farewell by American singer Harry Belafonte, a song widely known to be one of Odinga’s favourites, with crowds and guests joining in.

Ruto declared declared seven days of national mourning for Odinga, with another public viewing to be held on Saturday in the western county of Kisumu, close to Odinga’s rural home.