Oburu Oginga Discloses Where Raila’s Body Was Prepared Before Viewing at Kasarani: “Done Quickly”

• Raila Odinga’s body was flown from India after he passed away while undergoing treatment
• A massive crowd at the airport disrupted plans to preserve the body at Lee Funeral Home
• Oburu Oginga revealed embalmers had to preserve and prepare the body at Kasarani Stadium after mourners refused to let go

TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya

After Kenya’s former prime minister Raila Odinga passed away while receiving treatment in India, urgent arrangements were made to bring his body back home.

A high-level delegation of leaders and close family members traveled to India to accompany the body, which was flown to Nairobi in a casket.

The plan was to take the body to Lee Funeral Home for preservation before public viewing at Parliament Buildings. However, the situation changed dramatically upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

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Thousands of supporters had gathered to receive the body, demanding to see it immediately.

Their overwhelming presence made it impossible for the state and family to proceed with their initial plans. The procession eventually moved to Kasarani Stadium, where the crowd had already started swelling to uncontrollable levels.

As security officers struggled to control the crowd, chaos erupted. Police fired teargas and gunshots into the air to disperse the masses, leaving several people injured and others reported dead.

Moments later, President William Ruto and other national leaders arrived at Kasarani to lead the country in paying last respects to the late opposition leader.

Where was Raila’s body prepared before viewing?

In an interview with NTV on Sunday, November 2, Raila’s elder brother Oburu Oginga opened up on what happened behind the scenes as the family tried to preserve the body amid the confusion.

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Oburu explained that handling Raila’s body in India had been challenging because cremation is the norm there.

Finding proper preservation facilities and a decent coffin took time and required special arrangements.

He revealed that once the body arrived in Kenya, the plan was to take it directly to Lee Funeral Home for professional embalming and treatment before public viewing. Unfortunately, the massive crowd that had gathered at the airport blocked the process.

“First, I underestimated the crowd at the airport. A sea of people was waiting outside, and we only wanted them to give us time to dress the body. I tried to talk to them and asked that they allow us to prepare the body before viewing it at Kasarani or Parliament, but the rejection was overwhelming,” he said.

Faced with mounting pressure, the family and the state funeral committee allowed the crowd to accompany the body to Kasarani.

Was teargas fired at Kasarani to distract mourners?

It was at the stadium that embalmers from Lee Funeral Home stepped in to preserve and prepare it for public viewing.

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“The crowd insisted they were not releasing the body to anyone. That’s when I realised how deeply they were attached to Raila,” Oburu said.

“The preservation was finally done at Kasarani. You saw some teargas being fired, it was to clear the area so that the embalmers could quickly dress the body and change the casket that had come from India. Practitioners from Lee were there, and it was done quickly,” he added.

Oburu further said that the magnitude of the crowd reminded him of the scenes witnessed during the funeral of their father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, though this one was far more intense.

What condition was Raila suffering from?

In a related development, Oburu opened up about the medical condition that his late brother, Raila Odinga, battled before his death in India.

Oburu revealed that President William Ruto arranged a private jet to fly Raila to India for urgent treatment after doctors in Nairobi identified a clot in his head.

Oburu said the doctors in Nairobi were managing the condition using strong medication, which weakened Raila and forced him to withdraw from public appearances in the weeks before his death.

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He added that differences between specialists in Dubai and Kenya on Raila’s diagnosis led to an urgent meeting at Raila’s Karen home, where it was decided that he should be flown to India immediately.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke