A quartet of persons lost their lives in Kenya's capital when armed personnel shot and employed chemical irritants to disperse massive crowds at a sports arena where statesman Raila Odinga's body was lying in state.
The politician, who was a significant presence in the nation's political landscape for many years, succumbed on midweek at age 80 while in hospital care in India.
He struggled relentlessly for multi-party democracy, and we experience those rights today because of his work.
Countless supporters assembled on the streets from sunrise, with chaos occurring when a large crowd breached a barrier at the city's central arena, prompting military personnel to shoot skyward.
During the morning, countless of mourners briefly stormed Nairobi's international airport, halting a official event where the head of state and other officials were receiving Odinga's body with formal recognition.
This situation led to a two-hour suspension of airport operations.
Crowds also overwhelmed nearby roads and sought to penetrate the government complex, where the administration had initially planned the community homage.
Although primarily recognized as an government critic, Odinga served as senior minister in 2008 and also established a agreement with the leader last year in a public service characterized by shifting alliances.
He commanded intense commitment among followers, especially in his Luo community based in the country's west, many of whom maintain he was denied the nation's leadership by electoral fraud.
Many of Odinga's followers, who were unborn in 1991 when Kenya transitioned to a multi-faction governance, paid tribute to Odinga's contributions as an advocate.
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