The body of Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s former Prime Minister and a towering opposition figure, arrived in Nairobi on Thursday, met by a massive and emotional crowd, marking the start of a national period of mourning.

The aircraft carrying Odinga’s remains landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly before 10 a.m. As the coffin exited the tarmac, thousands of Kenyans gathered, waving flags, singing the national anthem, and chanting in tribute to the leader they affectionately called “Baba.”

Despite a heavy security presence including military, police, and National Youth Service officers, a mammoth crowd of ardent supporters proved uncontrollable, breaching the VIP gates and surging onto the tarmac.

The scene was so overwhelming that even the Chief of the Defence Forces, Charles Kahariri, was caught in the throng, highlighting the sheer force of the public’s grief and devotion.

Amid the chaos, a tight security cordon managed to form a protective ring around the casket as the body was eventually transferred to a black hearse and, under a watchful light aircraft and a heavy KDF escort flanked by hundreds of mourners, began its journey to a funeral Home.

The volatile scenes at JKIA and the congested Mombasa Road were not merely a security failure but a spontaneous, visceral demonstration of Odinga’s profound connection with the masses.

For his supporters, he was more than a five-time presidential candidate and former Prime Minister; he was “Baba,” a champion whose fight for democracy earned him a place in their hearts, a devotion vividly on display as they claimed their right to witness his final return.