Kenyans breached the VIP gate moments after the plane carrying former Prime Minister Raila Odinga touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Thursday.
Overcome with emotion, mourners surged toward the runway as the aircraft came to a stop, breaking into wails and chants of “Jowi! Jowi!” — the traditional cry of grief.
Many supporters, waving twigs and crying uncontrollably, ran toward the plane while others dropped to their knees in tears, calling out Odinga’s name. Security officers swiftly moved in to control the swelling crowd, forming a human shield around the aircraft as mourners pressed forward in anguish.
The Kenya Airports Authority personnel made repeated appeals for calm, but their efforts were drowned by the cries of mourners desperate to catch a glimpse of the casket. Tension heightened when the coffin, draped in the Kenyan flag, was brought out of the plane, prompting louder wails across the tarmac.
“Please, allow us to remove the casket!” an official pleaded through the noise as security tightened. The crowd’s grief deepened as the flag-covered casket was carefully lowered onto the ground — marking a painful moment of homecoming for a leader whose influence had shaped the country’s democratic journey.
President William Ruto and Mama Ida Odinga received the casket in a solemn ceremony attended by top state and family officials.
The Kenya Defence Forces, fully dressed in ceremonial uniform, stood at attention beside the runway as the military band played slow, mournful tunes in honour of the fallen statesman.
The casket, accorded full military honours, was then placed onto a waiting gun carriage and escorted from the airport under tight security to Lee Funeral Home.
The emotional scenes reflected the magnitude of loss felt by Kenyans as they welcomed home the remains of a man revered as the father of devolution and a symbol of resilience in the country’s political history.