{"id":53394,"date":"2025-10-17T07:18:23","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:18:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/thousands-attend-state-funeral-of-former-kenyan-prime-minister-odinga\/17\/10\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T07:18:23","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T11:18:23","slug":"thousands-attend-state-funeral-of-former-kenyan-prime-minister-odinga","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/thousands-attend-state-funeral-of-former-kenyan-prime-minister-odinga\/17\/10\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands attend state funeral of former Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Thousands of mourners are attending the state funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a national stadium in the Kenyan capital.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Many are carrying national flags, portraits of the late leader, and wearing T-shirts printed with his image to pay their final respects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Security remains tight in and around the stadium, with police and military officers deployed to prevent a recurrence of the unrest witnessed on Thursday during the body-viewing ceremony.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">At least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cwyk1l65nqvo?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:three people died after police fired gunshots and tear gas;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">three people died after police fired gunshots and tear gas<\/a> in an attempt to contain the huge crowds who had turned out to escort Odinga&#8217;s body from the country&#8217;s main airport after it arrived from India, where he died on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>A military procession is leading the service with Odinga&#8217;s casket draped in the Kenyan flag [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The presidents of Somalia and Ethiopia are among regional leaders attending the funeral service at the Nyayo National Stadium.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As Odinga&#8217;s body entered the stadium in a ceremonial military procession, mourners broke into chants, whistles, and songs.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">They chanted &#8220;Raila usilale, bado mapambano&#8221;, a popular Swahili political slogan, which translates as &#8220;Raila, don&#8217;t sleep, the struggle is not over&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It is a symbolic appeal for the late leader&#8217;s spirit to stay watchful, as his political struggle continues.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">During the funeral ceremony, President William Ruto led mourners in singing Odinga&#8217;s favourite reggae song, Jamaican Farewell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His widow, Ida appealed to Kenyans to uphold peace and unity as they mourned the former prime minister.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Raila hated dishonesty. He hated greed. The greed that has affected the fabric of our society,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Former President Uhuru Kenyatta brought a moment of warmth to the sombre ceremony as he recalled humorous and reflective times shared with Odinga.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Sometimes after work, we would just sit together, talking and laughing,&#8221; said Kenyatta, who had backed Odinga&#8217;s unsuccessful fifth presidential bid in 2022, after beating him in disputed polls five years earlier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Bishop David Kodia, who led the service, said Odinga never used his political power and money to intimidate people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Earlier on Friday morning, Odinga&#8217;s body was taken to parliament, where MPs and selected dignitaries viewed it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A crying mourner wearing black glasses mounted with Raila Odinga's portraits  \" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Yj_nR8PW8TjkhsztSzPlPw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/ddf2e29d3fc41228f14c0bf526c04aa1\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Mourners have been carrying branches and palm fronds [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Odinga, a giant figure on Kenya&#8217;s political scene, died on Wednesday aged 80 in India, where he had been receiving medical treatment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Mourners have been carrying branches and palm fronds, a symbol of mourning and grief among the Luo ethnic group to which Odinga belonged.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">On Saturday his body will be transported to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria &#8211; his political stronghold.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Members of the public will get a chance to view the body before he is buried on Sunday at his farm in Bondo, about 60km (40 miles) west of Kisumu.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to the family, it was Odinga&#8217;s wish to be laid to rest within the shortest time possible, ideally within 72 hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A seven-day period of mourning has been declared.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">He was a towering figure in Kenyan politics and for many years was the country&#8217;s main opposition leader, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Odinga repeatedly said he was cheated of victory, citing the manipulation of votes.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">You may also be interested in:<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"295\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/X.EL2n7fcUDVmgCDCHEGmA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTI5NTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/c7a608b642136b2879dce57f6fb5d461\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>[Getty Images\/BBC]<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Go to <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bbcafrica.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBCAfrica.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBCAfrica.com<\/em><\/a><em> for more news from the African continent.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Follow us on Twitter <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BBCAfrica\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:@BBCAfrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>@BBCAfrica<\/em><\/a><em>, on Facebook at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BBCnewsafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBC Africa;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBC Africa<\/em><\/a><em> or on Instagram at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bbcafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:bbcafrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>bbcafrica<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">BBC Africa podcasts<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/thousands-gather-state-funeral-former-075512068.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of mourners are attending the state funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a national stadium in the Kenyan capital.<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/thousands-attend-state-funeral-of-former-kenyan-prime-minister-odinga\/17\/10\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/0b0dca4e0405d18cde6906a043cdaa5b","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}