A BBC Africa Eye investigation has found that three mourners killed by Kenyan police at a national farewell for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga last October were not directly involved in the clashes that prompted the gunfire. The victims were killed when police opened fire after mourners attempted to forcibly gain access to the VIP section of Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium.
BBC analysis of footage from inside the stadium indicates that the victims were located between 60 and 160 meters (approximately 197 to 525 feet) away from the scuffles. While Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen told the BBC that police action was "restrained" after the crowd began throwing objects, the BBC's analysis found no evidence that stones were thrown, though plastic chairs were seen being used as projectiles.
The investigation, which examined more than 1,500 images and videos and included interviews with relatives of the deceased, suggests that an elite police unit, potentially responsible for presidential protection, may have fired the fatal shots. The former prime minister, Raila Odinga, who was one of Kenya's most influential political figures, died in India the day before the memorial event. His death at the age of 80 prompted widespread grief across Kenya.
Thousands gathered at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as his body was returned to the country. The initial plan for his body to lie in state at parliament was changed at the last minute to Kasarani Stadium due to the anticipated scale of public attendance and concerns about security breaches. Officials stated they had limited time to secure the 48,000-capacity venue, and large numbers of people entered the stadium without thorough checks.
After several hours of waiting in hot conditions without public address system updates, a portion of the crowd began throwing objects, including plastic chairs, toward officers guarding the VIP pavilion. Police responded by firing live rounds as the crowd pushed towards the pavilion. Footage from other areas of the stadium indicated that the majority of the crowd remained peaceful.
Among those killed was Evans Kiche, a 40-year-old chef and father of seven. BBC analysis placed him approximately 60 meters from the confrontation when he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The other two victims, Vincent Ogutu and Jidah Burka, were at least 160 meters away, in the opposite stands and distant from the pavilion. Autopsy reports confirmed Ogutu died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and 42-year-old Burka was fatally shot in the head.
The BBC's timeline identified at least eight police officers in tactical clothing and camouflage, carrying assault rifles, with their faces obscured. Their uniforms and actions were consistent with security assigned to protect VIPs, including the president. The investigation identified three officers from this unit as part of an elite presidential protection detail. While the BBC could not definitively determine which bullets killed each victim, it also could not rule out other officers firing within the stadium.
Kenya's National Police Service acknowledged that significant lessons were learned from the event, stating it has "formed a fundamental learning curve for a better, more professional application in the future." The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), responsible for investigating police conduct, is still reviewing the deaths and police response, and no individuals have yet been held accountable.