A wave of emotions swept through Nairobi’s Central Business District as former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s supporters marched through the streets, carrying a massive banner that stretched wide.
At its centre was a striking image of Raila, wearing a brown shirt, his face lit with a familiar, gentle smile that once stirred crowds from Kisumu to Kibra, Nairobi.
The banner fluttered in the breeze like a flag of remembrance, held aloft by dozens of hands, young and old, men and women, united in grief and pride.
Around it, the air pulsed with song, the supporters’ voices rising above the din of traffic and echoing off the walls of high-rise buildings.
Some wore shirts emblazoned with Raila’s face, while boda bodas revved gently nearby, their riders standing in silent tribute.
The procession moved reverently as if the city itself had paused to honour the man who had walked these streets in protest, in triumph and now in memory.
Pedestrians stopped to watch, some joining in song, others wiping away tears.
Raila died on Wednesday, October 15, while receiving treatment in India.
Raila’s remains have been redirected to the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, after massive crowds made it impossible for the planned transfer to proceed as scheduled.
Initial arrangements to move the body from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Lee Funeral Home for final preparations before being taken to Parliament Buildings for public viewing were abandoned amid escalating crowd trouble.
Military officials and morticians who had been stationed at Lee Funeral Home to receive and prepare the body were instead instructed to head to Kasarani, where the process will now take place.
“The crowd was simply uncontrollable. The mortician and his team have left in the military van,” a senior official at Lee Funeral Home told journalists.
Authorities cited overwhelming crowds at JKIA, Mombasa Road, and the Nairobi CBD, which made it logistically and safely impossible to proceed with the original route to Parliament.
Officials later confirmed that dignitaries will first view Raila’s body at Kasarani before members of the public are allowed access for the official state viewing ceremony.
The government has assured mourners that all security and logistical measures are now being coordinated from Kasarani, where the late opposition leader will lie in state ahead of the planned national funeral events.
Thousands of Kenyans have continued to pour into the capital to pay their respects to Raila, whose passing in India on Wednesday has plunged the country into mourning.
