Operations have been suspended at Kenya’s primary airport after hundreds of mourners turned out to obtain the physique of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a day after he died in India.
Massive crowds of mourners carrying twigs and palm branches breached safety at Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport (JKIA) instantly after the physique of the previous chief arrived on Thursday morning.
Authorities stated mourners gained entry to restricted areas, prompting a “precautionary closure” to permit safety groups to revive order and guarantee security.
“Members of the general public and travellers are suggested to stay calm and keep away from the airport space till additional discover,” the aviation company stated.
A seven-day interval of mourning has been declared [Reuters]
Due to the unexpectedly large crowds, the general public viewing ceremony for his physique has been moved to Nairobi’s Moi Worldwide Sports activities Centre, slightly than inside Parliament.
The 80-year-old former prime minister collapsed throughout a morning stroll in India on Wednesday morning and he was taken to Devamatha Hospital, about 50km (30 miles) east of the port metropolis of Kochi.
The hospital stated he had suffered a cardiac arrest, didn’t reply to resuscitation measures and was “declared lifeless at 09:52” native time (04:22 GMT).
Kenyan politicians and world leaders have been sending their condolences, together with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described Odinga as a “towering statesman and a cherished buddy of India”.
Kenya’s President William Ruto stated the veteran politician was a “beacon of braveness” and “father of our democracy”.
A seven-day interval of mourning has been declared. Odinga can even be accorded a state funeral with full navy honours, Ruto stated.
Odinga spent a few years as an opposition chief, dropping 5 presidential campaigns, most not too long ago three years in the past.
[Getty Images/BBC]
Go to BBCAfrica.com for extra information from the African continent.
Observe us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Fb at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
BBC Africa podcasts
