Govt totally clueless on handling huge crowd pouring out to mourn Raila
By Kenneth Mwenda, October 16, 2025Thursday, October 16, 2025, will be remembered not just for the homecoming of Raila Amollo Odinga but also for the chaos that unfolded across Nairobi.
The sheer scale of grief on display was awe-inspiring, yet it painfully exposed how unprepared the government was to handle thousands of Kenyans determined to pay their respects to the late former Prime Minister.
From the early hours, the streets leading to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) swelled with mourners. By 6 am, Kenyans were already tracking the Kenya Airways flight RAO001 online, following its progress from India.
By the time it touched down at around 9:33 am, more than 410,000 people were glued to their screens on a single local TV channel live-streaming the unfolding of events, while thousands more had gathered at the airport itself.
The flight had been given a special designation, RAO001 instead of KQ203, in honour of Raila Odinga, marking a first in the history of Kenyan aviation. Jets of water from fire trucks formed a historic salute as the aircraft rolled to a stop.
Despite the ceremonial grandeur, security at JKIA was quickly overwhelmed. Mourners surged forward, overpowering personnel and gaining access to the plane.
Officers scrambled to restore order, while the Kenya Airports Authority temporarily closed airspace to control the situation. What should have been a solemn, organised reception turned into a scene of tension and disorder, reflecting the government’s lack of planning for such an unprecedented turnout.
The chaos did not end at the airport. Plans to move the body to Lee Funeral Home and later to Parliament for public viewing soon fell apart. Outside Parliament, razor wire barriers and barricades meant to organise queues proved inadequate.
Thousands scaled the walls, forcing police into reactive mode as crowds pressed forward, chanting and singing. The streets of City Hall Road and Parliament Road became a river of people, united in grief but impossible to control.
Amid the disorder, gestures like that of Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who climbed the perimeter wall to address mourners, brought some calm and reassurance.
Yet even these moments highlighted how much the government had underestimated the public’s desire to be close to Odinga in his final hours. The decision to move public viewing from Parliament Buildings to Kasarani Stadium was a tacit acknowledgement that authorities had lost control.
Kasarani is also quickly filling up, yet the funeral procession is still on Mombasa Road.
It seems the decision to take Raila’s body to Kasarani Stadium was also a bad option. Perhaps the government should have considered Uhuru Park or even Uhuru Gardens along Lang’ata Road, which can accommodate up to a million people.
Government fumbles plans
While the public’s emotion was understandable, the disarray of the state funeral programme is telling.
Security forces were caught off guard, unable to follow the original plans for JKIA, Parliament, and Lee Funeral Home.
Officials scrambled to coordinate movements, with anti-riot police sent to reinforce order, but the impression left is clear: the government was unprepared for a turnout of this magnitude.
The mourning itself was deeply moving. Citizens held banners, portraits, and flags, chanting the Luo phrase “Onge ng’at ma baba osenego,” meaning “there is no one that Baba [Raila] has killed.”
Tears flowed freely as people remembered a leader whose life was dedicated to democracy, social justice, and national unity. Yet even in their grief, the public exposed the limitations of state planning and crowd management in times of national mourning.
Friday, October 17, has been declared a public holiday, and the state funeral service at Nyayo Stadium will proceed, followed by an overnight vigil at Odinga’s Karen residence.
On Saturday, the body will be flown to Kisumu for lying in state at Moi Stadium, with burial set for Sunday in Bondo, Siaya County. The government is now faced with the difficult task of ensuring these events proceed smoothly, without repeating the chaos of Thursday.