NAIROBI, Kenya – Parliament proceedings were brought to a standstill on Thursday morning after thousands of mourners thronged Parliament Buildings demanding to be allowed in to view the body of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The crowd, carrying placards and waving tree branches as symbols of mourning, gathered as early as dawn, filling City Hall Way and stretching beyond City Hall.
Some mourners occupied the City Hall–Parliament Road roundabout, wailing and singing dirges in honour of Odinga, who died earlier this week.
“Baba, we’ll miss you. How will we live without you? We are in pain,” one mourner cried, while others broke into Luo songs praising the veteran politician.
One chant echoed repeatedly: “Onge ng’ama Baba osenego” — Luo for “Raila has killed no one.”
The emotionally charged crowd threatened to storm Parliament, forcing several MPs to step out to calm them.
“We understand your pain, but please remain calm,” Rarienda Mp Otiende Omollo pleaded from the gate as security officers formed a human barrier.
In the chaos, a mourner collapsed and was rushed to a standby ambulance for medical attention.
Security around Parliament was tightened, with the precincts declared a no-go zone for vehicles. Uniformed and plainclothes police officers, supported by National Youth Service (NYS) personnel, were deployed to contain the swelling crowd.
A security screening tent was also set up near the Senate gate for those allowed to access Parliament to pay their last respects.
The public viewing of Odinga’s body had earlier been scheduled to take place inside Parliament, but the growing number of mourners and heightened emotions have disrupted the day’s programme.
Odinga, who served as Kenya’s second Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and remained a central figure in the country’s political landscape for decades, continues to evoke strong emotions among his supporters across the nation.
