Shops were looted on Wednesday, October 15, following crowds of Kenyans marching in Nairobi CBD to mourn the passing of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
What began as a peaceful procession to honor the fallen ODM leader quickly descended into chaos as goons infiltrated the mourners and began attacking traders and looting businesses that remained open in the Central Business District.
Hundreds of grieving Kenyans had taken to the streets of Nairobi CBD on Wednesday afternoon to mourn Raila Odinga, who passed away earlier in the day at the age of 80.
The crowd, many carrying whistles and twigs, danced through the streets in traditional mourning fashion, with some overcome with emotion, rolling on the ground, wailing, and tearing their clothes in expressions of grief.
However, the somber atmosphere was shattered when criminal elements infiltrated the peaceful procession and began targeting shops and traders.
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Videos circulating on social media show chaotic scenes of people running in different directions as the looting began. Traders scrambled to save their merchandise and close their shops as the situation rapidly deteriorated.
The goons took advantage of the large crowds and emotional atmosphere to launch attacks on businesses, breaking into shops and making off with goods.
Law enforcement officers have been deployed to the CBD to restore order and protect businesses from further attacks.
The chaos erupted on a day when Kenya plunged into mourning following the death of Raila Odinga. The former Prime Minister passed away on Wednesday morning at a private hospital in Koothattukulam, India, after collapsing during a morning walk at an Ayurvedic treatment facility in Kerala's Ernakulam district. He was pronounced dead at 7:22 am.
President William Ruto declared a seven-day national mourning period, ordering flags to fly at half-mast across the country and in Kenyan missions abroad. The President announced that Raila would be accorded a state funeral with full honors.
"In honor of the right honorable Raila Odinga and his immense contribution to the nation of Kenya, I have declared a 7-day period of mourning across Kenya during which the national flag shall fly at half-mast across the nation and in our missions abroad," President Ruto said in a national address.
A committee chaired by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and co-chaired by Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga has been formed to oversee funeral arrangements. Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi is leading a delegation to India to facilitate the repatriation of Raila's remains, with the Indian government offering assistance.
The death of the ODM leader has united the nation in grief, with tributes coming from across the political divide.
Raila's widow, Mama Ida Odinga, addressed mourners at their Karen home, saying, "I am so sorry. I know you are all shocked. We did not expect that it would happen this way, but it has happened. Be calm."
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who served twice as Raila's running mate, described him as "more than an enigma" and "a force of nature," while Former President Uhuru Kenyatta mourned "a silence that echoes across our nation, a silence where once there was a voice of thunder and conviction."
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua called Raila "the enigma Baba, the father of our democracy and a formidable hero of Kenya's 2nd liberation."
