Huge crowds welcome body of former PM Odinga to Kenya
Huge crowds of mourners have turned out to receive the body of Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India, in a public outpouring of grief that forced a brief suspension of operations at the country’s main airport.
Thousands of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) immediately after the body arrived on Thursday morning.
Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a “precautionary closure” to allow security teams to restore order and ensure safety.
The airport later said operations had been restored following the shutdown, which lasted about two hours.
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared [Reuters]
From the airport, thousands people moved in a procession to escort the vehicle carrying the body into central Nairobi.
Because of the unexpectedly large crowds, the public viewing ceremony for his body has been moved to Nairobi’s Moi International Sports Centre, rather than inside the parliament building.
Huge crowds gathered at Lee Funeral Home where the body was first expected, and around parliament.
“I came here at six in the morning. We have been at the airport to welcome Baba [Odinga’s nickname], we have not yet seen him. We are waiting and we hope we’ll see him, we’ll not leave until we do. We are sad, we have been left as orphans. He is our father,” one mourner told the BBC near the airport.
The state funeral will be held at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on Friday and on Saturday his body will be transported to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria – his political stronghold.
Members of the public will get a chance to view the body before he is buried on Sunday at his farm in Bondo, about 60km west of Kisumu.
According to the family, it was Odinga’s wish to be laid to rest within the shortest time possible, ideally within 72 hours.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port city of Kochi.
A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Odinga will also be accorded a state funeral with full military honours, Ruto said.
Odinga spent many years as an opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.
[Getty Images/BBC]
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