There was a chaotic scene as gunshots and teargas were fired in a stadium as tens of thousands of mourners in Kenya gathered to see the coffin of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose body was repatriated from India on Thursday, October 16,2025.

It was gathered that at least three people were visibly injured at Kasarani Stadium after security fired to disperse crowds trying to break into the VIP section.

Odinga, 80, died of a suspected heart attack at a health clinic in southern India on Wednesday, October 15,2025, triggering a huge outpouring of grief across much of Kenya.

He was one of Kenya’s foremost statesmen who ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times but seen as a major force for democratic reform.

A large crowd initially gathered at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport early on Thursday to greet his coffin, forcing the civil aviation authority to temporarily suspend operations to restore order and ensure safety.

The main highway to the stadium was then entirely blocked with supporters, becoming a sea of green as many waved symbolic branches for Odinga, affectionately known as “Baba” (father).

There were rowdy scenes at the stadium as the crowd awaited the arrival of the coffin, until the outbreak of gunfire led to panicked running.

AFP saw several people gathered around a man who was lying motionless on the ground with blood pouring from his head.

President William Ruto has announced seven days of national mourning for Odinga, with a state funeral service to be held in Nairobi on Friday, October 17,2025.

State television showed large numbers of people also gathered in Bondo, the family’s ancestral seat in western Kenya, where Odinga is due to be buried on Sunday, October 19,2025.