The death of former Prime Minister and towering political figure Raila Amolo Odinga, affectionately known as “Baba,” plunged Kenya into a period of profound mourning, with scenes of overwhelming public emotion and unprecedented crowds echoing some of the most chaotic and historic funerals of global leaders.

The sheer scale of public grief following Odinga’s death in India on October 15th and the subsequent repatriation of his body led to major logistical and security challenges, underscoring his colossal influence on the nation’s political life.

The Kenyan scene: overwhelmed by emotion

Odinga, a pro-democracy veteran who served as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 and was a perennial presidential candidate, died in an Indian hospital. His return home saw historic crowds line the streets of Nairobi.

Initial plans for his body to lie in state at Parliament buildings were reportedly abandoned due to the massive, uncontrollable crowds that took to the streets.

In a swift pivot by authorities to prevent a deadly crush, the procession was diverted from the central business district to the larger, contained grounds of Kasarani Stadium.

Streets overflowed, filled with chants and mourners desperate for one last glimpse of a man whose activism defined eras of change in Kenya.

Reports also emerged of extraordinary gestures of homage, including an unconfirmed request for a Kenya Airways carrier, flight KQ 203, to be temporarily renamed RAO001 upon hitting Kenyan airspace, a reflection of the deep personal connection millions felt with the national leader.

However, the overwhelming turnout was not without tragedy. Security reports confirmed that the public viewing events over the course of the week were marred by multiple stampedes, leaving at least five people dead and injuring hundreds of others as mourners breached security cordons in a bid to get closer to the coffin.

A history of chaotic farewells

The intensity of the Kenyan farewell places it in a grim yet historic category of funerals where public emotion has defied planning and control:

Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran (1989)

The funeral of the founder of the Islamic Republic was one of the largest and most chaotic in modern history. Millions flooded the streets of Tehran.

The crowd’s overwhelming fervour led to pandemonium, with the coffin being briefly lost and even falling multiple times.

Reports indicate that the body’s shroud was torn off for relics, and up to 11,000 people were treated for injuries or heat exhaustion.

Yasser Arafat, Palestine (2004)

Following a state funeral in Egypt, the casket of the Palestinian leader was flown to his Ramallah compound for burial.

There, tens of thousands of mourners overwhelmed security, storming the helicopter carrying his body. The crush forced Palestinian officials to hastily remove the coffin and shorten the burial ceremony, as crowd control collapsed entirely.

Qasem Soleimani, Iran (2020)

During the burial procession for the powerful Iranian general in his hometown of Kerman, a catastrophic stampede tragically killed at least 56 people and injured over 200 as crowds surged forward. The tragic crush forced a temporary postponement of the burial to control the massive turnout.

Like these global examples, the final journey of Raila Odinga demonstrates the raw, powerful, and often overwhelming nature of collective grief and public adulation for figures whose lives transcended typical politics to become national and continental icons.

For Kenya, the scenes serve as a poignant, if devastating, testament to the enduring, and sometimes volatile, power of its political identity.

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