Raila's body taken to Parliament

The body of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been taken to Parliament ahead of the State Funeral scheduled to take place today, Friday, beginning 9am at Nyayo Stadium.

Key dignitaries, including MPs and foreign delegations who did not have the opportunity to view his body, will have the chance to do so.

The body is expected to lie in State in line with protocols that dictate the final rite of a dignitary of Raila's stature.

Raila’s body was supposed to lie-in-state in the parliament buildings on Thursday, an honor which was thwarted by the presence of a chaotic and rowdy crowd around Nairobi.

The chaotic scenes witnessed at the country's legislative buildings, even before the body left the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), almost robbed the late ODM leader's final rest at the buildings, a picture well kept at Kenya’s archives.

Parliament was forced to call off the viewing of the leader’s body and instead transferred the same to Kasarani Stadium.

National Stadiums are used when large crowds are expected, especially for leaders with strong grassroots support.

Due to security concerns and logistical challenges, planners cancelled the viewing at Parliament, which traditionally accords honours to fallen heads of state.

With the plan back in the books, a picture of Raila’s body draped in a Kenyan flag and later displayed in Parliament under the protection of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) will immortalise the man many fondly referred to as Baba.

Lying-in-State describes the formal occasion in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public to pay their respects to the deceased before the funeral ceremony.

Those eligible are sitting or former presidents, prime ministers, speakers of the parliament and, national heroes or persons of exceptional public service. 

Kenya’s three Presidents, Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki, had their bodies lie in state, as well as former Vice President Kijana Wamalwa.

Lying-in-State in the UK, where Kenya borrowed the tradition from, is given to the sovereign as head of state, the current or past Queen Consort, and sometimes former Prime Ministers.

Lying is state allows the nation to collectively mourn and reflect on the legacy of the deceased.

It also brings the leader “close to the people” one last time, reinforcing democratic values and public connection.

Additionally, it offers emotional and symbolic closure to citizens who may have admired or followed the leader’s journey.

It is one of the most solemn elements of a State Funeral, which is the highest honor the Kenyan government can bestow upon a public servant or national hero.