Vast crowds were gathering in western Kenya on Saturday to see the body of beloved politician Raila Odinga for the biggest day of mourning ceremonies that have already claimed five lives this week.
Odinga, 80, died from a suspected heart attack in India on Wednesday, triggering a huge outpouring of grief for a man known affectionately as “Baba” (father) by many Kenyans.
The biggest gatherings were expected in Kisumu in western Kenya, the heartland of his support, where Odinga’s body was due to arrive for public viewing on Saturday.
On the eve of the arrival, candles lined the roads and crowds danced in the centre while vuvuzela horns blared across the city.
Many fear it could turn deadly on Saturday, given the violence and chaos of earlier ceremonies in Nairobi.
On Thursday, security forces opened fire to disperse a surging crowd in a stadium where Odinga was brought to lie in state, killing at least three people.
And on Friday, at the state funeral in another Nairobi stadium, led by President William Ruto, a stampede of mourners killed at least two people and left dozens injured.
– Uncertain future –
Arguably the most important political figure of his generation in Kenya, Odinga served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 yet never succeeded in winning the presidency despite five attempts.
But he outlasted many rivals and is credited as a major player in returning Kenya to multi-party democracy in the 1990s and overseeing the widely praised constitution of 2010.
Odinga’s body was repatriated from India on Thursday.
Kisumu is the largest city in the Nyanza region of western Kenya, an area dominated by Odinga’s Luo ethnic group which formed the bedrock of his support.
After lying in state in Kisumu on Saturday, the body will go to Bondo in nearby Siaya county, the family’s ancestral seat, for a private burial.
Odinga’s death leaves a leadership vacuum in the opposition, with critics accusing him of failing to prepare a successor.
His pragmatic deals with rivals — including current president Ruto last year — also cost him support among young voters who have staged mass protests over the last two years over poor governance and the economy.
It is unclear whether Odinga’s movement and the alliance with Ruto will survive his death, leaving Kenya on an uncertain path ahead of potentially volatile elections in 2027.
