Tension and tragedy overshadowed Kenya’s mourning on Thursday as police opened fire on crowds gathered for the public viewing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, killing at least two people and injuring several others. The violence erupted at Nairobi’s 60,000-capacity national stadium, where thousands of mourners had assembled to pay their final respects to the influential opposition leader, who died a day earlier in India at the age of 80.

According to Kenya’s head of police operations, Adamson Bungei, the shooting occurred during a “confrontation” after crowds surged toward a pavilion holding Odinga’s casket. Officers responded with live rounds and tear gas, sending mourners fleeing in panic and triggering a stampede. The chaos came just hours after an emotional procession in which thousands had escorted Odinga’s body from Nairobi’s international airport — many walking 29 kilometers to the stadium — following a solemn water cannon salute upon the plane’s arrival.

President William Ruto, members of the Odinga family, and other dignitaries were briefly confined inside a secure room at the stadium until calm was restored. Despite the violence, the viewing resumed later outside the venue under heavy security. A towering figure in Kenya’s political history, Odinga — affectionately known as “Baba” — will be accorded a state funeral on Sunday in his hometown of Bondo. Friday has been declared a national holiday, with additional memorials planned in Nairobi and Kisumu as Kenyans unite to honor the man long hailed as a champion of democracy.

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