Thousands Pay Tribute to Raila Odinga at Peaceful Burial
(MENAFN) Thousands of Kenyans assembled on Sunday to pay their respects to opposition leader Raila Odinga at his funeral near his farm in western Kenya.
Cloaked in the Kenyan flag, Odinga’s coffin was laid to rest during a serene ceremony in Bondo, following a week of national grief that was overshadowed by violent incidents.
Reports indicated that at least five individuals lost their lives and hundreds were injured as unrest broke out during state funerals held in Nairobi on Thursday and in Kisumu on Saturday.
Footage from Nairobi revealed a large crowd forcefully pushing through stadium gates where the late leader’s body was kept. Initially, soldiers deployed tear gas and discharged warning shots into the sky before resorting to live ammunition to control the chaos.
At the burial on Sunday, Odinga’s son, Raila Jr., expressed: “Now finally Baba is home.”
The funeral proceedings featured an Anglican service followed by a private interment, complete with military honors. Distinguished guests from across Africa attended, including Kenyan President William Ruto, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
During a memorial held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University on Sunday, Odinga’s daughter Winnie expressed gratitude to President Ruto for his support to the family.
In response, Ruto shared a message on X, stating that “his courage, his vision, and his unyielding faith in our collective destiny will forever illuminate the path of our nation.”
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