Security officers were forced to swing into action Thursday at Kasarani Stadium after a section of mourners turned unruly ahead of the late Raila Odinga’s body viewing ceremony.
Tension flared when some attendees began throwing twigs toward the VIP dais in protest over delays in allowing them to view the body. Some were also seen throwing the plastic seats to the officers.
The crowd, which had escorted the motorcade carrying the casket from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, became impatient after hours of waiting. Joint teams of General Service Unit (GSU) and anti-riot police swiftly responded, firing teargas canisters to restore order.
Plainclothes personnel from the Presidential Escort Unit also joined in and were seen beating up some individuals in the terraces as chaos erupted briefly.
At the time, President William Ruto, his deputy Kithure Kindiki, and other dignitaries were still in a holding room and had not taken their seats on the dais
. Inside the VIP lounge, embalming experts and pathologists from Lee Funeral Home were preparing Raila’s body, a process involving a change of clothes and transfer to a new coffin.
The procedure, initially planned for Lee Funeral Home, was relocated to Kasarani for logistical reasons.
Normalcy was later restored, and mourners were allowed into the stadium to pay their final respects once the preparations were complete.
