A somber and chaotic
mood has engulfed Mombasa Road as thousands of Kenyans throng the highway,
waiting to catch a glimpse of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s
convoy.
From JKIA to the city centre, the
usually busy highway has transformed into a river of humanity with men, women, and
children waving twigs and flags in tribute to a man they called Baba.
Motorbikes roar past intermittently,
their riders carrying green branches tied to mirrors and handlebars, a sign of
mourning and solidarity.
Some have plastered stickers of
Raila’s face on their fuel tanks; others honk rhythmically to the chant, “Baba!
Baba!”
The
tarmac, usually buzzing with impatient traffic and the hum of commerce, has
slowed to a reverent crawl. Today, it is not just a road, it is a procession
route for a nation’s fallen son.
From a distance, the steady hum of
engines mixes with the low murmur of grief, a chorus of sorrow and remembrance.
At several points along the highway,
crowds have formed human chains, waving branches and chanting unity songs as
they await the passing motorcade.
Women can be heard wailing as men
silently let tears fall down their cheeks.
The air is heavy with dust and
emotion. Groups of boda boda riders perform slow laps up and down the highway,
keeping vigil and rallying the crowd.
Police officers line the route, some
standing by patrol cars while others control the mounting traffic with slow,
deliberate gestures.
The Kenya Defence Forces have also
taken positions closer to the airport, ensuring order as the convoy makes its
way to Parliament.
The highway resembles a moving
shrine, a living testimony to the weight of national loss.
The convoy carrying former Prime
Minister Raila Odinga;s body is expected to depart the Jomo Kenyatta
International Airport (JKIA) and stretch toward South C and beyond.
The
lead hearse will be draped in the Kenyan flag and flanked by military outriders
and uniformed pallbearers.
Behind
it, a trail of government vehicles, family cars and motorcycles will through
the crowd.
For now, Mombasa Road stands still, not from gridlock, but from reverence. The people are waiting. The city is listening. Kenya is mourning.
Kenyans along Mombasa Road waiting for the convoy carrying the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to Lee Funeral Home on October 16, 2025/SCREENGRAB
