Mourners killed by Kenya police at Odinga national farewell not part of violence, BBC finds

Police opened fire at Kasarani Stadium during a national farewell for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. A small part of the crowd tried to force its way into the VIP section after hours of waiting in 30C heat. Three mourners died, while footage showed that much of the stadium remained peaceful.

The confrontation began when mourners threw objects, including plastic chairs, at officers guarding the VIP pavilion. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said police faced stone throwing and acted with restraint. The BBC found objects were thrown, but found no evidence that they included stones. Its analysis also showed the victims were far from the scuffles.

The deaths remain under investigation. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority is examining both the killings and the police response. BBC forensic analysis suggests an elite presidential-protection unit may have fired fatal shots, but the BBC could not identify which bullets killed the three people.

Three people died when police opened fire inside Kasarani Stadium on 16 October 2025. BBC analysis found that none of the victims was part of the scuffles near the VIP section. Their positions are central to the investigation because they challenge the explanation that the shooting was limited to an immediate confrontation.

Evans Kiche, a 40-year-old chef and father of seven, was about 60m from the clash when a gunshot wound to the head killed him. Vincent Ogutu and Jidah Burka were at least 160m away, in opposite stands. Autopsies recorded a gunshot wound to Ogutu’s chest and a fatal head wound to Burka.

The BBC identified at least three officers who appeared to fire weapons, but it could not establish which bullets killed each victim. It also could not rule out other officers firing inside the stadium. IPOA is still investigating the deaths and police response.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority, known as IPOA, is Kenya’s police watchdog. In this case, it is investigating how three mourners died and how police responded during the farewell for Raila Odinga. Its role matters because the deaths involved police gunfire and raised questions about whether officers used force appropriately.

The investigation covers the shooting at Kasarani Stadium and the conduct of officers during the crowd disturbance. The BBC found that the victims were between at least 60m and 160m from the scuffles. It also identified officers in tactical clothing and camouflage who appeared to fire assault rifles.

A year after the deaths, IPOA had not completed its investigation, according to the article. No one had been held to account. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said its findings would help authorities take appropriate legal action. IPOA did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.

Kenya’s Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said police used live ammunition after the crowd began throwing stones and pushing toward officers guarding the VIP pavilion. He described the police response as restrained. Officials also said officers had worked for many hours and had been moved to a new venue at short notice.

The BBC examined more than 1,500 images and videos from inside the stadium. The footage clearly showed objects being thrown, including plastic chairs. However, the investigation found no evidence that the objects included stones. It also placed the three victims at least 60m to 160m from the scuffles, with two in opposite stands.

These findings weaken the stated explanation that the shooting directly responded to an immediate stone-throwing threat. The BBC also found that at least three officers from a unit protecting the president appeared to fire. IPOA’s investigation has yet to establish accountability.

The shootings brought deaths, grief, and long-term hardship to the victims’ families. Evans Kiche was a 40-year-old chef and father of seven. Vincent Ogutu was a 36-year-old father of three. Yvonne Akinyi, whose husband was killed, told the BBC that police had caused families to become young widows and orphans.

The victims died from gunshot wounds in different parts of the stadium. Kiche suffered a fatal head wound. Ogutu was shot in the chest, while Jidah Burka was shot in the head. Their locations, far from the confrontation, intensified relatives’ concerns about how police used live ammunition.

No one had been held to account a year later because IPOA was still investigating the deaths and police response. Murkomen said the authority’s findings would guide appropriate legal action. The police service said the incident offered important lessons for more professional policing in future.

An elite presidential-protection police unit is a specialised group assigned to protect the president and other VIPs. The article says officers linked to this unit were present before and after the shooting. Their possible involvement matters because the unit has a direct security role around senior officials during a chaotic public event.

BBC Africa Eye identified at least eight officers working together in tactical clothing and military camouflage. Their faces were covered, and they carried assault rifles without visible insignia. At least three appeared to fire. The BBC identified those three as members of the elite unit responsible for presidential protection.

The BBC could not establish which bullets killed the victims and could not exclude other officers firing. IPOA is investigating the deaths and police response. Determining the shooters’ identities and chain of responsibility could help explain the killings and inform any legal action, but the article reports no completed findings.

In general, police may use lethal force only when necessary to protect life from an immediate threat of death or serious injury. The force should be proportionate to that threat, and officers should use safer options when reasonably possible. These principles are general policing standards; the article does not list Kenya’s specific legal rules.

The Kasarani case raises those questions because police fired live rounds after a confrontation near the VIP pavilion. The BBC found plastic chairs were thrown, but no evidence of stones. It also found the three people killed were at least 60m to 160m from the scuffles, while much of the crowd remained peaceful.

Independent oversight can preserve evidence, assess officers’ decisions, identify shooters, and recommend legal action. IPOA is investigating the deaths and police response. Its work is important because the suspected shooters may include officers from a presidential-protection unit, and no one has yet been held accountable.