Thousands attended the state funeral of opposition leader Raila Odinga at Nairobi’s Nyayo National Stadium on October 17, 2025, following his death from a heart attack in India at age 80. The event saw chaos with two mourners killed in a crowd crush, while eulogies highlighted Odinga’s contributions to Kenyan democracy.
Concurrently, social media users on X popularised ‘Githinji’, a Kikuyu term implying ‘butcher’, to criticise President William Ruto for signing the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Amendment Act, which expands government surveillance and content-blocking powers.
Netizens were expressing their anger towards President William Ruto, calling him “Githinji”, which means “butcher” in Kikuyu. This was in response to his signing of the controversial Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Amendment Act, considered a move to stifle free speech just as everyone was remembering a man who fought for it.
By mid-morning, the sun-baked stands of the 30,000-capacity venue were overflowing, a vibrant sea of orange ODM scarves and black armbands moving together as heartfelt tributes celebrated Odinga, who passed away from a heart attack in Kochi, India, at 80, as Kenya’s steadfast champion of democracy.
President Ruto, who used to be Odinga’s protégé but is now his rival, was the first to take the podium. His voice wavered a bit as he praised the “Agwambo” for creating the devolution pillars in the 2010 Constitution and for helping to mend the ethnic divides that emerged during the violent 2007 elections.
“Raila showed us that democracy isn’t something we just get handed down; it’s something we have to fight for against oppression,” Ruto said, getting agreement from a front row filled with Azimio supporters and foreign diplomats.
Uhuru Kenyatta, the former president, shared stories about his 2018 agreement with Odinga that changed the political landscape. He reminisced about their experiences together, from student protests to corporate betrayals.
Meanwhile, Kalonzo Musyoka struggled to hold back tears, promising to “carry Baba’s baton through the fire.” But the atmosphere changed around noon when the gates started to buckle under the weight of latecomers.
Many had travelled from as far as Mombasa’s ports and Eldoret’s farms, eager for one last look at the casket draped in Kenya’s flag and ODM colours.
People who were there talked about a terrifying crush by the east entrance, where bodies were stacked up in the chaos, and security’s efforts to calm things down were drowned out by the noise of the stampede.
“It felt just like 2007 again, but this time it was about love, not hate,” said Grace Omollo, 45, a trader from Kisumu, as she caught her breath, nursing bruises while medics zipped up body bags nearby.
The police later pointed fingers at “overzealous fans”, but they faced criticism for their lack of crowd control, especially with rain in the forecast. As the stadium cleared out in quiet disbelief, the online world came alive with a bang.
The name “Githinji”, which comes from Kikuyu stories about someone who slaughters goats, really took off on X. It became a viral jab at Ruto’s approval of the cybercrimes bill on October 15, just hours after the news of Odinga’s death came out.
The expansion of the act is pretty unsettling: Fines of KSh 20 million or up to ten years in prison for posts deemed “false or offensive”, along with the ability for the Communications Authority to block sites without a warrant and seize devices during “”emergencies”—these are powers that critics are calling a heavy-handed approach, born out of the turmoil from last year’s Gen Z tax protests.
“Did Ruto really stifle free speech at Raila’s funeral?” “Githinji strikes again,” shouted one viral thread, racking up 50,000 retweets by nightfall, with memes turning the president’s smile into a cleaver-wielding monster going after cartoon keyboards.
The trend started in the youth corners of Nairobi’s Eastlands and Nakuru’s estates, where Odinga’s final calls for unity bumped up against Ruto’s attempts to pull in members from ODM for his “broad-based” cabinet.
Boniface Mwangi, the activist who’s always challenging those in power, really turned up the heat with a post comparing the bill to “digital barbed wire around Baba’s grave.”
As night fell in Kisumu, candles lit up the paths leading to the airport for Odinga’s body, and the divide just seemed to grow even larger. The chaos at Raila Odinga’s funeral isn’t just about mourning; it’s really a statement on Ruto’s leadership after two years, where alliances are weakening and social media is buzzing.
Human Rights Watch is calling for a repeal of the bill, expressing concerns about the “chilling effects” it could have on the kind of activism that Odinga represented, from the Saba Saba marches to his role in AU peace brokering.
As the casket heads to Kisumu today for the lakeside ceremonies, Kenya is on edge, not just looking for closure, but wondering if the butcher’s blade will dull or if the sparks of democracy will ignite once again. Ultimately, Raila’s real tribute might resonate in the streets he inspired, raw and fearless.
