Raila Odinga funeral: Emotional send-off for Kenya’s revered former prime minister

One of Kenya’s most revered politicians, former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, has received an emotional send-off at his state funeral in the capital, Nairobi.

Tens of thousands of people – many carrying branches as a traditional symbol of grief and wearing T-shirts printed with his image – wept and sang at the service at Nyayo National Stadium, where they paid their final respects.

“Every once in a generation, there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment,” President William Ruto told the crowds about his former rival’s legacy to multi-party democracy.

Two mourners died later as crowds surged forward to see Odinga’s coffin at the lying in state, according to Médecins Sans Frontières.

The aid agency said the field hospital at the stadium also attended to 163 patients and referred 34 others for further care.

Security officers managed to restore order afterwards and the public viewing of his body later carried on smoothly.

This follows the deaths of at least three people on Thursday after police fired gunshots and tear gas in an attempt to contain the huge crowds who had turned out to escort Odinga’s body from the country’s main airport after its arrival from India.

Odinga, who died at a hospital near the Indian city of Kochi aged 80 on Wednesday, never made it to Kenya’s presidency – failing five times – but his daughter Winnie told mourners that he had risen again each time “with grace, forgiveness and hope”.

“I learned from him that love for country is not just in words; it is in sacrifice. That justice must be pursued even when the path is lonely. True leadership is service, not power,” she said.

The presidents of Somalia and Ethiopia were among regional leaders who attended the service.

As Odinga’s body entered the stadium in a ceremonial military procession, mourners broke into chants, whistles and songs.

They chanted “Raila usilale, bado mapambano”, a popular Swahili political slogan, which translates as “Raila, don’t sleep, the struggle is not over”.

It was a symbolic appeal for the late leader’s spirit to stay watchful, as his political struggle continues.

During the ceremony, President Ruto also led mourners in singing Odinga’s favourite reggae song, Jamaican Farewell.

His widow Ida appealed to Kenyans to uphold peace and unity as they mourned the man who, following the bloody and disputed 2007 election, became prime minister in a unity government.

“Raila hated dishonesty. He hated greed. The greed that has affected the fabric of our society,” she said.

Former President Uhuru Kenyatta brought a moment of levity during his eulogy.

“Sometimes after work, we would just sit together, talking and laughing,” said Kenyatta, who had backed Odinga’s unsuccessful fifth presidential bid in 2022, after beating him in disputed polls five years earlier.

Bishop David Kodia, who led the service, said Odinga never used his political power and money to intimidate people.

One young mourner told the BBC that he had arrived at the stadium at 06:00 to say his goodbyes to Odinga: “I believe in his dream for this country.”

At the end of the ceremony a woman expressed her feelings, telling the BBC: “We’ve listened, we’ve danced – because in Luo [Odinga’s ethnic group] we celebrate a life. For us, Raila was simply a carer.”

Earlier on Friday morning, Odinga’s body was taken to parliament, where MPs and selected dignitaries viewed it.

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 (40 miles) west of Kisumu.

Ayang Nyong’o, the current governor of Kisumu County who stood by Odinga during Kenya’s most turbulent political years in the 1980s, said that without his friend and colleague’s sacrifices, Kenyan democracy would not be what it was today.

“I think his most enduring legacy really was to win respect for the common people – the ordinary Kenyan – that the ordinary Kenyan matters,” he told the BBC’s Newsday programme.

The governor, who is father to Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong’o, added that Odinga’s fight for devolution could not be underestimated.

“Raila’s passionate leadership for this and winning the battle is something that he goes to heaven wearing as a laurel,” he said.

According to the family, it was Odinga’s wish to be laid to rest within the shortest time possible, ideally within 72 hours.

A seven-day period of mourning has been declared.

He was the country’s main opposition leader for many years and repeatedly said he was cheated of victory, citing the manipulation of votes.

Additional reporting by Charles Haviland