Emotional send-off for Kenya's revered ex-PM Raila Odinga at state funeral

Thousands of mourners flooded the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya's capital city, to pay their respects to the country's former prime minister Raila Odinga at his state funeral. The somber ceremony, which was attended by regional leaders including those from Somalia and Ethiopia, saw tens of thousands of people weep and sing as they bid farewell to Odinga.

Odinga, 80, never made it to Kenya's presidency but his legacy is seen as a unifying force for the country. His daughter Winnie told mourners that her father had risen again each time he failed to become president "with grace, forgiveness and hope".

The atmosphere turned tense on Friday morning when Odinga's body was taken to parliament where MPs and dignitaries viewed it. Earlier on Saturday, his body will be transported to Kisumu, a city in western Kenya, before being buried on Sunday at his farm.

President William Ruto led the service and told mourners that every once in a generation there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment. "Every once in a generation, there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment," President Ruto said of Odinga's legacy to multi-party democracy.

The event was marked by chants, whistles and songs as mourners chanted 'Raila usilale, bado mapambano', which translates to "Raila, don't sleep, the struggle is not over". The symbolic appeal for the late leader's spirit to stay watchful reflects Odinga's long history of politics.

man, its heartbreaking seeing so many people come out to pay their respects to raila odinga... 80 yrs old he was, but still got a nation on its feet like that his legacy is something else, you feel? his message of hope and forgiveness resonates so much with kenyans... its amazing how one person can inspire such unity in a country especially when he never became president but still made an impact its beautiful

so raila's a legend in kenya now i get it. all these people are crying and singing about how he was this unifying force and stuff... meanwhile, his daughter is literally saying that her dad was like a phoenix rising from the ashes every time he got rejected by voters idk if thats supposed to be inspiring or something lol

anyway, its cool that kenya's got some regional leaders showing up to pay respects. and i guess its nice that they're still celebrating raila's legacy even though hes not around anymore... the chants and whistles were pretty intense tho, like "raila don't sleep the struggle is not over"... sounds like someone needs a nap tbh

Just saw the pics from Raila's state funeral in Nairobi - so many people showing their love and respect for this man who never took the presidency but left a huge impact on Kenyan politics ! His legacy is real, folks, he was all about unity & forgiveness . I think it's awesome that his daughter Winnie shared those powerful words about her dad's resilience . The atmosphere at parliament looked intense when they brought out the body, but the songs & chants outside were so uplifting - can't help but feel inspired by Odinga's spirit ! Maybe this is a reminder to us all to keep pushing for change, no matter what #RailaOdinga #KenyaTribute #UnityInAction

I'm still reeling from the somber ceremony at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi yesterday . Thousands of people gathered to pay their respects to Raila Odinga, a man whose legacy is truly inspiring . His story of perseverance and hope is something we can all learn from, especially in these trying times . I remember when he first ran for president back in the 90s... it's crazy to think that he never got to fulfill his dream . But what struck me was how much he meant to the people of Kenya, and how he continues to inspire a new generation of leaders . The chants and songs during the service were so powerful, I felt chills down my spine . It's clear that Raila Odinga's spirit will continue to live on in the hearts of Kenyans everywhere . By the way, have we talked about how his daughter Winnie is doing after all this?

man what a somber mood in Nairobi right now its like the whole city is one big family mourning the loss of this iconic figure... raila odinga was more than just a politician, he was a symbol of hope and unity for kenya... his legacy will live on long after he's gone, inspiring generations to come

im curious about the 'don't sleep struggle is not over' chant tho, it sounds like a call to action but also kinda nostalgic? is it a reminder that even though raila may be gone, his spirit lives on in the hearts of those who believed in him? and what does it say about kenya's politics that people would still be fighting for change even after someone like raila has passed away?

I'm still in awe of how Raila Odinga's legacy has brought so many Kenyans together, even after his passing . It's beautiful to see people from all walks of life come out to pay their respects and celebrate his life's work . What strikes me is how his daughter Winnie described him rising again from failure - it's a testament to the resilience and hope he instilled in so many Kenyans . I also love that President Ruto highlighted Odinga's impact on multi-party democracy - it's clear that his leadership has left a lasting mark on Kenya . The chants of "Raila, don't sleep" are especially poignant, as if the country is saying goodbye to not just a leader, but to an era of hope and unity .

my heart went out to kenya and all the people who loved raila odinga... it's amazing how his legacy lives on through his daughter winnie & now everyone in kenya is showing up to pay their respects

i think what resonates with me most is when president ruto said that there's a leader whose impact goes beyond their moment, because i feel like that's exactly what raila odinga was all about - inspiring hope & unity among his people it's beautiful to see kenya come together in such a somber yet celebratory way during the state funeral

omg can't believe raila odinga just passed away what a legend he was more than just a politician, he was a unifying force for kenya and his legacy will live on forever i'm so grateful that his daughter winnie said those beautiful words about her dad's resilience and forgiveness it's truly inspiring president ruto did the right thing by acknowledging raila's impact on multi-party democracy what a sendoff this will be for kenya, i just know we'll miss him but we'll keep pushing forward

[Image of a sad Kenyan man with a speech bubble saying "Tears are like rainfall in Kenya"]

[ GIF of people weeping and singing at a funeral]

[ Image of Raila Odinga's daughter Winnie with a caption "Rising again... to the occasion"]

[ Meme of a person holding a 'still not over' sign with a sad face ]

Man, I'm still in shock after seeing those pics of Raila's funeral . It's amazing how much respect and love he got from all over Africa. His legacy is real, you know? He brought hope to a country that was torn apart by politics for years. And the fact that his daughter Winnie said he always got back up, no matter what... it's inspiring, but also kinda sad . I mean, we could learn from his example in our own world today.

But at the same time, you can't help but think about how much more work needs to be done. We're still dealing with a lot of problems that Raila fought against during his lifetime, and it's like he's gone, but the struggle isn't over . The chants at his funeral were so powerful... "Raila usilale, bado mapambano"... I'm sure they'll continue to echo in our ears for a long time.

Anyway, it was an incredible tribute to his life and legacy. President Ruto's speech was spot on too . We need more leaders like Raila who can bring people together and fight for what's right. That's the kind of impact we should all be striving for .

man this is a big deal in kenya just thinking about raila odinga's legacy its like he had a way of bringing people together, even though he never got to be president the fact that his daughter is still holding it down and spreading those values of hope and forgiveness its really inspiring i guess its good to see regional leaders showing up to show their respect too its not often you see somalia and ethiopia together at a funeral lol anyway, can only imagine how hard this must be for the kenyan people, losing someone who was so close to the country's heart

I'm still in shock that Raila's life came to an end . But looking at all those people gathering to pay their respects, it's clear he left a massive impact on Kenya . I mean, 80 is not old, and the way his daughter Winnie is describing him as someone who "rose again" every time he failed to become president... that's truly inspiring . And can we talk about how beautiful it was when everyone came together to sing and weep? It's moments like these that remind me of the power of unity and love . I think President Ruto hit the nail on the head when he said Odinga's legacy will live on for generations . And honestly, I'm feeling a sense of hope after this somber ceremony... it just goes to show that even in difficult times, we can find strength in each other .

OMG u gotta feel 4 Raila Odinga's legacy! He may not hv b become president but his impact on Kenya is HUGE . It's all about him being a unifying force 4 the country & bringing ppl together, regardless of party affiliations . The way his daughter Winnie talked abt her dad rising again from failure with grace & forgiveness? Pure inspiration ! And can we talk abt the service itself? It was all about celebrating Odinga's life & legacy, not just mourning his passing . And that chant 'Raila usilale' is giving me ALL THE FEELS ! Let's hope his spirit stays with Kenya 4 generations to come #RIPRailaOdinga #LegacyLivesOn #KenyaUnited

omg i just saw that on news and i'm still trying to process it raila odinga seems like such a great guy, what was he famous for again? wasnt he in some kind of scandal back in the day? i feel bad for his daughter winnie she sounds like a strong one. why do people chant 'raila usilale' though? is it like a saying or something? did you know that nyayo national stadium can hold like 90k people? thats crazy!