Wamuzi News Ke
Chaos erupted this afternoon at Kasarani Stadium when police fired tear gas canisters and discharged shots in the air to disperse thousands of mourners gathered to view the body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Security forces moved in after sections of the crowd attempted to breach restricted areas, triggering a violent stampede. Videos and eyewitness accounts show smoke filling stadium terraces as panicked mourners scrambled for exits.
One clip recorded at around 3:00 pm captured law enforcement chasing people down corridors, wielding shields and batons.
Escalation of Violence — Stones, Fury, Tear Gas.
Sources say the unrest ignited when portions of the crowd hurled chairs and stones toward the VIP viewing platform, demanding closer access to the casket. Security guards, overwhelmed, tried to push back, and tensions soared into unmanageable levels.
Soon after, police lobbed tear gas grenades, forcing mourners to flee. Distress calls erupted across the stadium, where people pushing and shoving squeezed narrow exits. At least two individuals were seen receiving first aid, and unconfirmed reports suggest one person might have been shot during the melee.
The scale of the crowd appears to have exceeded the venue’s threshold. Stadium staff reportedly panicked as exits became choke points. Within minutes, the vast arena — once packed with tens of thousands — emptied in a chaotic exodus.
Failure in Security Protocols — National Mourning DisruptedThe sight of tear gas billowing over mourners during a national solemn moment underscores a severe breakdown in crowd management.
At a time meant for dignified grief, the government’s inability to anticipate crowd surges is now being condemned sharply by observers and opposition voices.In statements, mourners accused police of overreaction and excessive force.
Human rights defenders are raising urgent questions about rules of engagement, especially as this incident follows prior reports of crowd control failures during earlier stages of Odinga’s repatriation.
The unrest also casts a shadow over the funeral schedule: how and when the public viewing will resume, whether the stadium will be cleared permanently, and the potential need for venue changes going forward.
