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NAIROBI – Tens of thousands of mourners in Kenya fled in panic as security forces fired gunfire and tear gas at a stadium where they had gathered to see the coffin of Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose body was repatriated from India on Thursday.
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AFP journalists reported that at least three people were visibly wounded at Kasarani stadium after security opened fire to disperse crowds trying to force their way into the VIP section.
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One had a serious head wound.
Odinga, 80, died of a suspected heart attack at a clinic in southern India on Wednesday, triggering a huge outpouring of grief across much of Kenya.
He was one of Kenya's outstanding statesmen.
He ran unsuccessfully for the presidency five times, but was considered a major force for democratic reform.
A large crowd initially gathered at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport early on Thursday to greet his coffin, forcing the civil aviation authority to temporarily suspend operations to “restore order and ensure security.”
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The body was initially due to be taken to parliament, but with supporters crowding and climbing the gates, authorities decided to move the coffin to Kasarani Stadium on the outskirts of the capital.
The main road leading to the stadium was then completely blocked by supporters, turning into a sea of green as many waved symbolic branches to Odinga, who was affectionately called “Baba” (father).
There were noisy scenes in the stadium as the crowd waited for the coffin to arrive, until a flash of gunfire led to a stampede.
Agence France-Presse saw several people gathered around the man, who lay motionless on the ground with blood pouring from his head.
President William Ruto has declared seven days of national mourning for Odinga, with state funeral services to be held in Nairobi on Friday.
State television showed large numbers of people also gathered at Bondo, the family's ancestral home in western Kenya, where Odinga is due to be buried on Sunday.
Michael Omondi, a youth leader of Odinga's party, told AFP he was at the airport “to receive an icon… a giant one.”
“Baba, we knew that you were the only person who was going to take us to Canaan (the promised land),” he added.
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