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Four people were killed in Nairobi when security forces discharged weapons and deployed teargas to disperse huge gatherings at a venue where political figure Raila Odinga's body was on public view.

National Figure Mourned

The politician, who was a prominent player in Kenyan politics for decades, succumbed on midweek at age 80 while in hospital care in the Asian nation.

He fought tirelessly for democratic systems, and we experience those rights today because of his work.

Chaos Breaks Out at Venue

Countless supporters congregated on the streets from dawn, with mayhem occurring when a large crowd forced open a barrier at Nairobi's main stadium, causing soldiers to discharge weapons upward.

• Two individuals perished from bullets at the stadium
• Death toll later rose to 4
• Scores of individuals sustained injuries
• Law enforcement used teargas to clear thousands attendees

Aviation Hub Event and Government Building Situation

During the morning, numerous of supporters temporarily invaded the city's air terminal, disrupting a official event where the nation's leader and dignitaries were accepting Odinga's body with military honors.

This event caused a two-hour suspension of airport operations.

Groups also flooded adjacent streets and sought to penetrate the legislative building, where the administration had initially planned the public viewing.

Political Legacy and Ethnic Support

While predominantly identified as an government critic, Odinga served as head of government in 2008 and also struck a alliance with the leader last year in a career characterized by changing partnerships.

He commanded strong loyalty among adherents, particularly in his ethnic group based in the country's west, many of whom contend he was prevented from obtaining the highest office by vote manipulation.

Countless of Odinga's followers, who were not living in 1991 when Kenya established itself as a multi-faction governance, paid tribute to Odinga's contributions as an activist.