Widow of Kasarani shooting victim recounts final moments with husband before tragedy

The wife of the late Evans Onyango, one of the mourners killed at Kasarani Stadium on Thursday ahead of the public viewing of the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s body, has recounted the events leading up to her husband’s death.

Brenda Akoth said he left home early in the morning for work against her wishes. For some reason, she felt uneasy about him leaving the house that day. Later, at around 9 am, she called to check on him, and he assured her that he was fine.

“He insisted on going, saying that if he didn’t, we would not have food for the day. I was really worried yesterday, even before the incident. I called him again at 10 am after it was announced that Raila’s body would be taken to Kasarani, to ask him to be careful since he works around that area. I told him it would be better if he came home before chaos broke out, and he said he would close his hotel early and would let those who live nearby take over as he came home,” she recalled.

At midday, she called again to ask if he had left work, and he told her he had not yet received permission but would be leaving soon.

“At around 1:30 pm, I called him again and he said he would leave in a minute. We spoke for about 52 seconds. After that, I tried to call him again, but at around 2 pm, the number was no longer going through. I kept calling and became restless. I made dinner for the children and later decided to go online to see how the situation in Kasarani was unfolding. On Facebook, I found a lady had messaged me, urging me to call her about an emergency. When I did, she told me she was sorry, his body was at the City Mortuary,” she said.

According to Akoth, her husband was not the kind of person to attend such gatherings or protests, preferring to stay home.

“I don’t know what happened yesterday. I can’t explain. He was a kind, loving, and caring young man. Nobody can fill the big gap he has left behind,” she said.

Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid has called for justice for Onyango’s family and those of at least two others who died in the chaos witnessed on Thursday at the stadium, as police attempted to restore order ahead of the start of the public viewing.

The other victim was identified as Vincent Otieno Ogutu, who was also shot and killed at Kasarani Stadium.

The disturbances began earlier at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where mourners breached security and accessed the highly guarded facility to receive the body of the late Prime Minister from Mumbai, India, prompting a two-hour closure of the airport.

The mourners then escorted the convoy on foot all the way to Kasarani Stadium for the start of the public viewing.

On Friday, a requiem mass for the late Prime Minister was held at Kasarani Stadium, during which his widow, Mama Ida Odinga, urged peace and calm during this difficult moment for the family and the nation at large.

“One thing that he kept repeating to me is that we must urge Kenyans to live in peace. He kept on repeating that,” she said.

After the mass, there was a brief commotion outside the stadium as the viewing exercise began, but it was quickly contained, allowing the event to proceed without the chaos witnessed the previous day, when police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse unruly mourners.

An overnight vigil planned for Raila’s Karen home this evening has since been cancelled due to alleged security concerns, with the ODM party confirming that the body will be moved to Lee Funeral Home.

Other Topics To Read

• National
• Raila Odinga
• JKIA
• Kasarani Stadium
• Evans Onyango
• Vincent Otieno Ogutu
• Widow of Kasarani shooting victim recounts final moments with husband before tragedy
• Headlines