What was largely meant to be a solemn national farewell for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga descended into chaos at Kasarani Stadium, as violence and confusion marred the public viewing ceremony.

In one of the day’s most disturbing scenes, police recovered a body from the centre of the stadium in full view of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.

For several tense minutes, National Youth Service officers formed a human shield around the body to keep onlookers away before police eventually removed it.

The identity of the deceased remains unknown.

Emergency services were seen attending to several people with varying degrees of injuries, as clashes between mourners and security officers intensified.

A solemn moment of national mourning quickly turned into a scene of turmoil with clouds of tear gas hanging over Kasarani for hours.

Raila’s casket, draped in the Kenyan flag, was brought into the stadium but was never viewed by the public.

Efforts by leaders, including ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir, and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino to calm the restless crowd proved futile.

Mourners, many in tears and disbelief, expressed anger and disappointment over the day’s turn of events.

“We only came to view the body of our leader, but they served us bullets,” said one mourner.

“This is not what Baba would have wanted. They’ve stripped him of his final honours,” another told The Standard.

“A friend of mine has just been injured in the stampede — I hope she gets well,” said a third mourner.

Even as military officers assigned to confer state honors stood guard near the main dais, no member of the public was allowed close.

The atmosphere remained charged throughout the afternoon, overshadowing the final send-off of a man many revered as a statesman and freedom icon