Tens of thousands of people mourning the death of former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga have filed past his open coffin at a stadium in his home city of Kisumu, with many crying out the phrase we are orphans in their grief.
I have come here to mourn an icon of Africa, one mourner Dixon Ochieng told the BBC.
The public viewing of the revered 80-year-old, who died at an Indian hospital on Wednesday, has now concluded, and his body has been flown to his farm for burial.
His widow, Ida, appealed to those gathered to grieve calmly to avoid the chaos that led to the deaths of at least five mourners at other events and left dozens injured at the Kisumu stadium earlier.
Odinga had a devotional following in his political heartland in the west of the country. People, old and young, began arriving at Kisumu, which lies on the shores of Lake Victoria, before dawn.
It is also the region from where Barack Obama's Kenyan family hails, and overnight, the former US president posted his condolences on X, calling Odinga a true champion of democracy. A child of independence, he endured decades of struggle and sacrifice for the broader cause of freedom and self-governance in Kenya, he said.
Odinga was the country's main opposition leader for many years, losing five presidential campaigns, most recently three years ago, citing vote manipulation. Following the bloody and disputed 2007 election, he became prime minister in a unity government.
Odinga set an example not just for Kenyans, but across Africa and around the world, according to Obama. His teachings on democracy and resilience were echoed by mourners in Kisumu, who expressed their sorrow and gratitude towards a man whose life was dedicated to the country's betterment.
The funeral service will be held at a university in Bondo, followed by a private burial nearby at his late father's homestead, as per Odinga's wish to be laid to rest within the shortest time possible.
