- Tens of thousands gather in Kenya for Odinga’s final farewell
- Barack Obama hails Odinga as ‘a true champion of democracy’
KISUMU, KENYA – Tens of thousands of mourners filled the streets of Kisumu on Saturday to honour Kenya’s late opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The 80-year-old’s body lay in state at the Jomo Kenyatta Stadium in his political stronghold, following a state funeral held on Friday in Nairobi – two days after his death in an Indian hospital.
Several people were injured as crowds surged forward to glimpse the coffin, with first aid officers treating dozens at the scene.
“I have come here to mourn an icon of Africa,” Dixon Ochieng, one of many tearful mourners who described Odinga as a symbol of freedom and defiance, told the BBC. Others wailed, “We are orphans,” expressing the depth of loss felt across the region.
The man who shaped Kenya’s democracy
From before dawn, thousands of people – many dressed in orange, the colour of his Orange Democratic Movement – streamed into the stadium, waving green branches, a traditional Luo sign of mourning.
Odinga, who lost five presidential bids, was a towering figure in Kenyan politics. His name became synonymous with the country’s push for multi-party democracy after decades of one-party rule. Despite repeated defeats, he maintained a loyal following, especially in the west.
Following Kenya’s violent and disputed 2007 election, Odinga agreed to a power-sharing deal that made him prime minister in a unity government – a move many credited with saving the nation from deeper chaos.
“I remember him for giving us democracy, for giving us our freedom,” said Jacob Omondi. “Now we can talk and we can say anything that we see is bad for us.”
Another mourner, David Ouma, told the BBC: “I learned from Raila to be resilient, because Raila was always a very resilient leader. Through every election, he still rose to try again.”
Odinga’s passing has drawn tributes from leaders worldwide. Former US President Barack Obama, whose father hailed from western Kenya, praised him as “a true champion of democracy.”
“Raila Odinga was a child of independence who endured decades of struggle and sacrifice for the broader cause of freedom and self-governance in Kenya,” Obama wrote on X. “Time and again, I personally saw him put the interests of his country ahead of his own ambitions.”
Odinga’s family said he will be buried privately on Sunday at his Bondo farm, about 60 kilometres west of Kisumu, in line with his wish to be laid to rest within 72 hours.
