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Four people perished in Nairobi when law enforcement opened fire and employed chemical irritants to scatter massive crowds at a venue where statesman Raila Odinga's corpse was lying in state.

Political Leader Remembered

Odinga, who was a significant presence in the country's governance for decades, succumbed on midweek at eight decades while undergoing healthcare in the Asian nation.

He campaigned vigorously for multi-party democracy, and we benefit from those rights today because of his work.

Disorder Unfolds at Venue

Countless followers congregated on thoroughfares from sunrise, with mayhem erupting when massive group broke through a barrier at Nairobi's main stadium, leading to armed forces to shoot skyward.

• A pair of persons lost their lives to gunfire at the location
• Death toll subsequently increased to 4
• Scores of people got wounded
• Police employed irritants to clear numerous mourners

Airport Event and Government Building Standoff

During the morning, countless of supporters briefly stormed the capital's aviation hub, interrupting a formal proceeding where President William Ruto and government representatives were accepting Odinga's body with formal recognition.

This situation led to a brief stoppage of flight activities.

Crowds also flooded nearby roads and tried to enter parliament, where the administration had originally scheduled the open visitation.

Political Legacy and Ethnic Support

Though mainly known as an government critic, Odinga served as prime minister in 2008 and also formed a political pact with the leader last year in a public service characterized by evolving coalitions.

He inspired passionate devotion among adherents, especially in his Luo community based in western Kenya, many of whom maintain he was denied the presidency by electoral fraud.

Countless of Odinga's mourners, who were unborn in 1991 when Kenya transitioned to a pluralistic political system, paid tribute to Odinga's efforts as an activist.