Mourners killed by Kenya police at ex-PM's national farewell not part of violence, BBC finds

12 October 2026, 00: 13 BST.

Key points

• BBC analysis from inside the stadium demonstrates the victims were each between at least 60m (197 ft) and 160m from the scuffles.
• The two other mourners killed, Vincent Ogutu and Jidah Burka, were at least 160m away, in the opposite stands, far removed from the pavilion.
• Authorities say they had little time to secure the 48, 000-capacity venue, and thousands spilled onto the pitch and into the stands unchecked.
• Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen informed the BBC that the police action had been "restrained" after the crowd starting throwing stones.
• One of them was Evans Kiche, a 40 year-old-chef and father to seven children.

Three mourners killed when Kenyan police opened fire at a national farewell for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were not involved in a clash that sparked gunfire, a BBC Africa Eye investigation has discovered.

During an event held last October for individuals to pay their respects to Odinga, three residents were shot dead after mourners attempted to gain access to the VIP section of Nairobi's Kasarani Stadium by force.

In footage analysed by the BBC, it is clear that objects, including plastic chairs, are thrown, but we have no evidence that they included stones.

Meanwhile, the BBC went through more than 1, 500 images and videos to establish the location of those killed in the stadium on 16 October 2025, and additionally spoke to some of their relatives.

Forensic analysis by the BBC suggests an elite police unit responsible for protecting the president may have fired the fatal shots.

Kenya's longest serving opposition leader and former prime minister died the previous day while receiving medical treatment in India. He was one of the country's most influential political figures.

Meanwhile, a year on, Kenya's police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), is still investigating the deaths and police response and no-one has been held to account.

For context, the interior minister defended the police by saying they had been under "so much pressure" after working for plenty of hours non-stop and had been deployed to a new venue at the last minute.

"The investigations are being done by an independent police oversight authority, we believe that their findings will help us take appropriate legal action, " Murkomen remarked.

Responding to questions regarding the conduct of police he stated: "I don't think. Somebody sitting there and saying: 'Shoot now'. It is the judgment of the police officer at the spur of the moment."

Yvonne Akinyi, who husband was among those killed informed the BBC: "The residents who we look at to protect us, these are the individuals that cause us this pain. These are the individuals that produce us to become young widows in this country, young orphans in this county, " she noted.

Odinga's death at 80 prompted an outpouring of grief throughout Kenya. Thousands gathered at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as his body was flown home.

Notably, the body had originally been due to lie in state at parliament, but the scale of the crowds and fears of a security breach forced a last-minute change of venue to Kasarani Stadium. Authorities say they had little time to secure the 48, 000-capacity venue, and thousands spilled onto the pitch and into the stands unchecked.

After a number of hours of waiting to see the coffin in 30C heat with no public address system for official updates, a small section of the crowd began throwing objects, including plastic chairs, at officers guarding the VIP pavilion. Police fired live rounds as mourners pushed toward the pavilion. Footage from elsewhere in the stadium demonstrates the crowd remained largely peaceful. Outside the UK watch on YouTube, external. In total, three individuals were killed.

One of them was Evans Kiche, a 40 year-old-chef and father to seven children. BBC analysis demonstrates he was around 60m from the confrontation when he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head.

In practice, the two other mourners killed, Vincent Ogutu and Jidah Burka, were at least 160m away, in the opposite stands, far removed from the pavilion.

Autopsy reports confirm that Ogutu died from a gunshot wound to the chest and 42 year-old Burka was fatally shot in the head.

Piecing together a timeline of events, BBC Africa Eye identified at least eight police officers operating together, wearing tactical clothing and military camouflage. These officers carry assault rifles, with no visible insignia and faces covered.

Their uniforms and movements are consistent with a layer of security assigned to President William Ruto and other VIPs before and after the shooting. At least three officers of this unit appear to fire their weapons.

In practice, the BBC identified three of them as part of an elite police unit responsible for presidential protection.

Notably, the BBC cannot establish which bullets killed each victim, and cannot rule out other officers firing inside the stadium.

Kenya's National Police Service informed the BBC: "There are huge lessons picked from the day's events, " which had "formed a fundamental learning curve for a better, more professional application in the future." The IPOA did not respond to a request for comment.

Ogutu, a 36-year-old father of three, hadn't planned to go to Kasarani, his wife informed the BBC. He was in central Nairobi on the morning of 16 October with friends when they saw the crowds heading to the stadium and decided to join. Within hours, he was dead.

His widow Yvonne Akinyi described how the killing upended their family, saying their children were now orphans.

As she prepares to mark a year since her husband's death, Akinyi is no closer to understanding why he died while paying his respects at an event organised by the administration.

"I will just try to be that solid woman. Particularly robust. But deep inside there is a hole, " she remarked.

"It is particularly painful as sometimes you just sit down and ask yourself. At Kasarani there were so plenty of residents, so plenty of of them. Why him." More from BBC Africa Eye.

'They aimed to kill' – BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters.

Evidence that South African special forces murdered top detective shared with BBC.

BBC uncovers the scammers exploiting dogs to elicit donations from animal lovers. BBC reveals horrific exploitation of children in Kenya sex trade.

Go to BBCAfrica.com, external for more news from the African continent.

In short, mourners killed by Kenya police at ex-PM' s national farewell not part of is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.