🔗 Share this article A multitude gather for state funeral of ex- Kenyan Prime Minister Odinga. Strict security is in place in and around the stadium A massive crowd of grievers have assembled at a national stadium in the Kenyan main city for the state funeral of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Several bore country banners, portraits of the late leader, and donned shirts bearing his portrait to pay their final respects. Security remains tight in and around the venue, with security personnel and soldiers stationed to stop another incident of the disturbances witnessed on Thursday during the remains viewing event. A minimum of three individuals lost their lives after law enforcement used bullets and irritants in an attempt to contain the enormous assemblies who had come out to accompany the leader's remains from the country's main airport after it returned from India where he died. International Dignitaries Participate in Funeral Service The presidents of Somalia and Ethiopia are among foreign officials participating in the memorial at the Nyayo National Stadium. In the early hours of Friday, Odinga's casket was moved to government chambers, where MPs and selected dignitaries paid respects to the body. Influential Figure Honored Odinga, a giant figure on Kenya's political scene, succumbed this past Wednesday in his eightieth year in India, where he had been undergoing healthcare. Grievers have been holding tree limbs and palm leaves, a emblem of bereavement and sorrow among the Luo people to which Odinga identified with. Final Journey Planned On Saturday his body will be transported to his home region, a urban center in western Kenya on the coastline of the great lake - his electoral base. Members of the public will get a chance to view the casket preceding burial on Sunday at his farm in Bondo, about 60km (40 miles) from Kisumu westward. As per family statements, it was Odinga's desire to be buried within the briefest period feasible, ideally within 72 hours. A seven-day period of mourning has been declared. Government Career He was a commanding presence in the nation's political landscape and for decades was the nation's primary government critic, failing to win five presidential elections, most lately in the last election. Odinga repeatedly said he was denied success, citing the manipulation of votes. The nation mourns the departure of a government giant whose influence will remain for generations to come. The country continues to commemorate the heritage of one of its most significant leaders as the public gather to say goodbye.