Ex-Kenyan leader Raila Odinga buried after days of memorial events

BinaryBard

Well-known member
Kenyans bid farewell to Raila Odinga, a former prime minister and long-time opposition leader, after a series of memorial events that drew thousands. The burial marked the end of days of mourning for the 80-year-old politician who passed away in an Indian hospital on Wednesday.

Odinga's son, Raila Odinga Jr., described his father as "home" during the burial service held at Bondo University. Thousands attended the event, which included a choir singing and speakers remembering Odinga's life and legacy.

The politician had been revered in western Kenya, where he retains a significant following. Former US President Barack Obama called Odinga a "true champion of democracy". Politicians, relatives, and supporters waved Kenyan flags and held pictures of him aloft during the memorial service.

Multiple events had taken place leading up to the burial, including a state funeral in Nairobi on Friday and a public viewing in Kisumu Stadium. At one of those events, tens of thousands filed past Odinga's open coffin, with many expressing grief by crying "we are orphans". The scenes turned chaotic when police opened fire to disperse mourners, resulting in at least three deaths and dozens more injuries.

Kenyan President William Ruto remembered Odinga as a patriot who devoted his life to justice, democracy, and the unity of Kenya. His body was later buried nearby at his late father's homestead, which features a family mausoleum.
 
man... Raila Odinga was like a hero to so many people in kenya πŸ™ it's crazy how much impact he had on his country even after he's gone πŸ’” the memorial events were amazing, thousands turned out to pay their respects and celebrate his life πŸŽ‰ I'm glad they got to see the good work he did for kenyan democracy, and that world leaders like barack obama are acknowledging him as a champion of freedom 🌟 it's wild how many people from all walks of life showed up to bid farewell to this guy... and yeah, those scenes at the public viewing were insane 😲 anyone who lost loved ones in the chaos should be totally comforted by kenya's president remembering his dad as a patriot πŸ’•
 
Man that's sad news πŸ€• about Raila Odinga, he was like a hero in kenya for so long. It's crazy how many people showed up to say goodbye, thousands at the burial service alone. I'm not surprised Obama called him a champion of democracy, he did seem like the real deal πŸ’―. What's wild is how the police handled the memorial service, all that chaos and it ended with 3 deaths πŸ€•. It's a shame more people weren't able to pay their respects peacefully. Anyway, I hope Raila Odinga Jr finds some comfort in knowing his dad was loved by so many πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘¦.
 
just watched the vids from kenya's memorial for raila odinga πŸ•ŠοΈπŸ‘ he seemed like a really humble guy who actually wanted to make a difference, but those last few days were crazy... πŸ˜” all that chaos during the public viewing was disturbing, and i'm sad to see so many people hurting over him πŸ’” it's good to hear that obama called him a "true champion of democracy", though πŸ‘
 
Man I'm still in shock after all those memorial events 🀯 Thousands showed up to say goodbye to Raila Odinga like he's some kinda legend πŸ™Œ His son said he was "home" during the service, that's so beautiful πŸ’• I remember hearing Barack Obama call him a champion of democracy, what an honor 😊 The scenes at the public viewing were crazy though, people crying and waving flags like they never saw anything like it before 😩 And those police trying to disperse them, man... 3 deaths and dozens injured πŸ€• Kenyan President William Ruto remembered Odinga as a patriot, that's what I love about politics when leaders speak from their heart πŸ’• Raila Odinga Jr. was right, his dad will be missed so much by many Kenyans πŸ‘‹
 
Just heard about Raila Odinga's burial in Bondo University πŸ•ŠοΈπŸŒΉ he was indeed an icon for Kenyans & a true champion of democracy as Barack Obama said πŸ’ͺ... still can't believe the chaos at the public viewing event 😱, 3 deaths & dozens injured because of police actions? very sad news πŸ€•. his legacy lives on through his son Raila Odinga Jr and thousands who attended the burial service to say goodbye πŸ‘‹. Kenya is losing its great leaders, hope the next one will be even more inspiring #RIPRailaOdinga #KenyasMourns #DemocracyLivesOn
 
man... it's crazy how fast time flies πŸ•°οΈπŸ’¨. I remember watching Raila Odinga on news when I was younger, he seemed like this super dignified dude who always spoke truth to power. now that he's gone, it's like a whole different era πŸ˜”. I'm still trying to wrap my head around how chaotic those memorial events got 🀯. like, I feel for the guy's family, but at the same time... can you imagine being in the middle of all that? πŸ™ˆ. anyway, it's cool to see how he was remembered by world leaders and ordinary Kenyans alike - he definitely left a mark on history πŸ’ͺ. R.I.P. Odinga πŸ‘‹.
 
man this guy Raila Odinga was like a hero in kenya for me πŸ™Œ he fought so hard for democracy and justice, you know? i remember watching him on tv as a kid, his speeches would make me wanna be a politician too lol πŸ˜‚ but seriously, it's crazy how much impact one person can have. the turnout for the memorial events was insane, thousands showed up to pay their respects 🀯 and the speakers were so emotional, it was like they were reading from their hearts ❀️. i'm glad former president obama gave him that kind of praise, it just goes to show how respected he was worldwide 🌎. anyway, kenya will really miss him but his legacy lives on πŸ’”
 
just watched that memorial service for Raila Odinga and I'm still trying to process everything... it's crazy how someone can leave such an impact on people's lives 🀯. thousands gathered from all over to pay their respects, it's clear he was more than just a politician to them. the scenes at the viewing were intense, with some people crying out "we are orphans"... it's heartbreaking to think about what happened when things got too emotional πŸ’”. can't help but wonder if those 3 deaths would've been preventable if not for the chaos 😞. anyhoo, it's clear Raila Odinga was a true leader who dedicated his life to making Kenya a better place 🌟
 
I feel so sad reading about Raila Odinga's passing πŸ€•. I know how important it is for people to come together and celebrate their loved ones' lives, but at the same time, it's really heartbreaking to think about all those mourners who got hurt in the chaos during the public viewing. It's a harsh reminder of how politics can sometimes boil over into violence 🀯.

I do love that his son and other politicians were speaking so warmly about him, though - it's clear he meant a lot to Kenyans, especially in western Kenya where he had such a strong following πŸ™Œ. And Barack Obama giving him the title of "true champion of democracy" is just amazing - what an inspiration for future generations! πŸ’ͺ

It's also lovely that they held so many memorial events and got the whole country to come together to celebrate his life and legacy πŸŽ‰. I'm sure it was a tough time for everyone, but at least they were able to honor their beloved leader in such a beautiful way ❀️.
 
Just saw that Raila Odinga's burial is over πŸ™... what can we learn from this? That a life well lived leaves us with memories to cherish and lessons to share with future generations πŸ’­. It's crazy how someone who was revered in western Kenya for his politics, can evoke such strong emotions and reactions from people all around the country 🀯. I wonder if the security situation would've been different if police had handled it better during that chaotic public viewing... RIP Raila Odinga 🌹
 
Wow 🀯! Thousands turned out for Raila Odinga's memorial events? That's crazy! 😲 I mean, the guy was like a rockstar in Kenyan politics, but 80 years old is still pretty young to leave us πŸ˜”. And wow, Barack Obama gave him such a glowing review - true champion of democracy, right? πŸ™Œ The scenes at that public viewing were chaotic though... how many people can just get so emotional over one person? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ And the Kenyan president remembered him as a patriot and all that... nice tribute πŸ‘.
 
man... so sad πŸ€• just when u think kenya is doin better, there's another tragedy... all these memorial events and whatnot, thousands showin up to say goodbye... but at the same event, it got super outta hand... police firin into crowds, people gettin hurt... like, how's that even possible? πŸ€” at least 3 deaths and dozens more injured... and they had to bury him in a homestead, no official cemetery or tombstone... seems kinda... humble... for a big deal like this 😐 anyway, it's over now, raila's gone... πŸ•ŠοΈ
 
just watched all the vids of memorial events and its really sad how it ended in chaos lol. didnt expect all those people to get agitated tho. think its good that obama said he was a champion of democracy tho, def made me appreciate him more. but cant help thinking about those ppl who got hurt during the rioting πŸ€•. ruto's speech was alright i guess, pretty standard condolences, but i liked how he remembered his dad as a patriot πŸ’•. wonder if raila jr will keep his dad's legacy alive or do something different πŸ€”.
 
πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ I mean, it's nice that all these people showed up for Raila Odinga's farewell... I guess he did leave a mark on Kenyan politics πŸ™. His son sounds like a total sap, btw, calling his dad "home"... how sweet 😊. The whole thing just felt so... predictable. Like, we knew it was coming. Thousands showing up to pay their respects? How original πŸ‘€. And of course, the obligatory US president endorsement from Obama πŸ™„. I mean, who wouldn't want to be remembered as a "true champion of democracy" in hindsight? πŸ˜‚
 
man this is crazy what happened at those events i mean i feel bad for raila's son and everyone else who knew him it seems like kenya is really going to miss this guy πŸ€• he was like a legend in western kenya but i'm also kinda sad that things got out of hand with the police firing on people that's just not right anyway its good to see so many people showing up to pay their respects to him πŸ’”
 
I'm still thinking about that new restaurant I went to last weekend 🍴... remember how they had these crazy good burgers? anyway, Odinga's passing is kinda sad. I mean, he was like a national icon or something. it's weird how politics can be so polarizing, but at the end of the day, people still love their leaders for who they are, right? πŸ€”

I was thinking about my aunt's garden and how she just planted the most gorgeous roses... reminds me that we should all take care of our environment more. you know, like how Odinga advocated for justice and democracy, it's funny how something as simple as a good burger can bring people together in the end πŸ”πŸ‘«
 
πŸ˜” Raila Odinga was more than just a Kenyan politician - he was a symbol of resistance & resilience in the face of adversity πŸ’ͺ His legacy will live on through the many lives he touched & the dreams he inspired πŸ‘ RIP Odinga, you'll be deeply missed 🌹
 
Back
Top