2 Killed as Kenyan Security Forces Fire Shots to Disperse Crowd at Raila Odinga’s Body Viewing

At least two people were killed in Nairobi on Thursday, October 16, after Kenyan security forces opened fire in the air to disperse a crowd gathered for the public viewing of late opposition leader Raila Odinga’s body.

Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics who ran for president five times and spent years as a political prisoner, died on Wednesday, October 15, in India at the age of 80, where he had been receiving medical treatment.

Thousands of supporters thronged the streets and the Nairobi sports arena to pay their final respects as his body arrived in Kenya. However, chaos broke out when crowds breached one of the stadium gates, prompting soldiers to fire warning shots.

According to a police source cited by Reuters, two people were fatally shot during the incident.

Following the gunfire, security forces deployed tear gas to disperse the mourners, leaving the stadium largely deserted, as shown in footage aired by local broadcasters.

Earlier in the day, thousands of Odinga’s supporters had briefly stormed Nairobi’s international airport, disrupting a ceremony attended by President William Ruto and other officials to receive the late leader’s body with military honours. The incident forced a two-hour suspension of airport operations.

Crowds later flooded nearby roads and attempted to breach parliament, where the government had initially planned to hold the public viewing.

A video of the chaotic scene has circulated widely on social media.