By 
Kenyan police have fired tear gas at huge crowds of mourners who gathered at a stadium in the capital, Nairobi, to view the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, whose remains were flown in from India where he died.
Several people were reportedly injured as security officers sought to disperse the surging crowds.
Thousands of people carrying twigs and palm branches had earlier thronged the country’s main airport in a massive outpouring of grief that briefly halted flights, according to the BBC.
Authorities said mourners gained access to restricted areas, prompting a “precautionary closure” that lasted about two hours.
Due to the unexpectedly large turnout, the public viewing of Odinga’s body was moved to the Moi International Sports Centre in Nairobi, instead of the parliament building where it was initially scheduled.
From the airport, thousands joined a procession escorting the hearse to the stadium, located about 10km (six miles) from the city centre, where the crowd swelled further as more mourners gathered outside.
Earlier, huge crowds had also assembled at Lee Funeral Home—where the body was initially expected—and around Parliament.
“I came here at six in the morning. We have been at the airport to welcome Baba [Odinga’s nickname],” one mourner told the BBC near the airport. “We are sad, we have been left as orphans. He is our father.”
Motorcycle rider William Otieno Adoyo described himself as a “Baba die-hard.”
“We want to see Baba, how do we know it’s him in the casket? Let them show us and we’ll be contented,” he said.
A state funeral will be held on Friday at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi. On Saturday, the body will be taken to Kisumu—Odinga’s political stronghold on the shores of Lake Victoria—before burial on Sunday at his farm in Bondo, about 60km west of Kisumu.
According to the family, it was Odinga’s wish to be laid to rest within the shortest possible time, ideally within 72 hours.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed during a morning walk in India on Wednesday and was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km east of the port city of Kochi.
President William Ruto has declared a seven-day period of national mourning, announcing that Odinga will be accorded a state funeral with full military honours.
Odinga was a towering figure in Kenyan politics and for decades served as the country’s main opposition leader, contesting five presidential elections, most recently three years ago.
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