By Enyichukwu Enemanna
More than a dozen of persons sustained varying injuries on Friday following a stampede that occurred at the state funeral in honour of late Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, Reuters quoted a source as saying at the Kenyatta National Hospital in the capital, Nairobi where thousands of mourners came to pay their last respect for the former Prime Minister.
Odinga enjoyed a throng of supporters on the East African country which was seen in the large crowd that attended the funeral.
On Thursday, it was reported that three mourners were shot dead at a stadium after a crowd forced their way through the gate where public viewing of his body took place.
Odinga, a prominent figure in Kenyan politics for decades had made unsuccessful attempts to rule the East African country but failed to garner the needed votes. Once a political prisoner, he passed away in India at the age of 80 on Wednesday where he was undergoing treatment.
According to Kenyan broadcaster NTV which did not provide further details, as the state funeral got under way in a Nairobi stadium on Friday, some members of the crowd surged forward to view Odinga’s body, a melee that later led to the stampede.
A spokesperson at Kenya Red Cross confirmed that a stampede had taken place.
“Our teams are there helping to provide treatment and evacuate the injured,” the spokesperson told Reuters, adding that further details were not immediately available.
Kenyan authorities had deployed heavy security on Friday, with police keeping crowds at a distance, footage from local television and President William Ruto’s office showed.
Thousands of mourners waved white handkerchiefs and danced at the venue which was bedecked with large banners with Odinga’s portrait. Others blew whistles and vuvuzelas in honour of the man they referred to as “Baba” (“Father” in Swahili).
On Thursday, thousands of people had taken to the streets to mourn and celebrate Odinga from early in the day.
