Nairobi came to a standstill on Thursday as thousands of grieving supporters flooded Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to receive the body of longtime opposition leader Raila Odinga, who passed away a day earlier at age 80 while undergoing treatment in India.
The highly charged crowd interrupted official proceedings, briefly overwhelming airport security and disrupting a solemn military ceremony intended to honor Odinga’s return. As the plane carrying his remains landed, mourners waving twigs and national flags surged past barriers — some arriving on motorbikes — and swarmed the tarmac.
According to Reuters reporters and video footage from the scene, the disruption caused airport operations to be halted for nearly two hours. Officials, including President William Ruto, had gathered at the airport to receive Odinga with full state honors, a rare moment of unity in a deeply divided political landscape.
Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics for over four decades, was a former prime minister and a five-time presidential contender. His political journey saw him jailed, praised, and polarizing — yet he remained beloved by many, especially among his Luo community in western Kenya, who have long maintained he was denied electoral victory through fraud.
In a separate incident in the capital, some mourners climbed the gates of Parliament, where a public viewing had initially been planned. Due to the swelling crowds and security concerns, the government later moved the venue to a stadium in Nairobi, according to Odinga’s party.
Though remembered primarily for his fierce opposition stance, Odinga also served as Prime Minister in 2008 and in a surprising twist, forged a political alliance with President Ruto in 2024, marking yet another chapter in his complex legacy of shifting loyalties.
His passing has ignited deep sorrow and reflection across the nation. For many, Odinga was not just a politician — he was a symbol of resilience and defiance in the face of adversity.
> (Reuters/NAN)
