Tension gripped Parliament as hundreds of mourners who had come in anticipation of viewing the body of Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga breached the security cordon.
The mourners who were chanting slogans in honour of Raila attempted to enter Parliament using the Senate and National Assembly gates with security officers cordoning off the area.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi attempts to address the mourners were not successful as they did not listen to them and continued chanting slogans in honour of Raila.
The Parliamentary leadership was forced to change plans with security officers removing a small podium that had been prepared for Raila’s body to lie in state for fears of a security breach.
Speaker Wetangula and Speaker Kingi walked away accompanied by Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye and National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge to chart their next course of action.
Attempts by Senate Minority Whip Ledama ole Kina and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino to try to convince the hundreds of mourners to leave the gates of Parliament were also not successful.
Security personnel were forced to cordon off the entire Parliament in order to prevent the hundreds of mourners from entering the August House.
The mourners later left the gates as they followed Babu Owino who was on top of his vehicle as they entered the city center.
The viewing of Raila’s body was moved to Moi Sports Centre Kasarani in order to avert a crisis if he was to be brought to Parliament buildings.
The leadership of Parliament asked legislators and members of staff to go back to their offices after the efforts to address the mourners failed.
The mourners left the Parliament gates with some boarding a Police Vehicle seen leaving the scene following the decision not to bring Raila’s body to Parliament for public viewing.
