Police were forced to battle a sea of mourners as thousands of Raila Odinga’s supporters ignored family pleas to stay away from the graveside.
The Odinga family had earlier appealed for privacy during the burial, asking Kenyans to follow proceedings from the main venue. But moments after the final wreath was laid, crowds broke ranks, sprinting from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University to the family home in Bondo.
The air filled with cries and chants as heartbroken supporters surrounded the grave, some collapsing in tears, others raising their hands in grief.
Raila Odinga is gone, but his supporters refuse to accept a Kenya without “Baba.” In an extraordinary show of devotion, mourners joined workers in sealing the tomb, passing buckets of cement and helping lay concrete over the iron sheet that covered the grave.
Police and security officers struggled to contain the swelling crowd as emotions boiled over. Barriers were pushed aside, and the scene turned chaotic before order was slowly restored.
For many, this was the end of an era. And in that moment of raw emotion, Kenya’s love for its fallen statesman spilled far beyond control.
