A stampede at a packed soccer stadium in Kenya's capital injured at least 18 people Friday during the state funeral for former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, as thousands of mourners surged forward to view the body of the democratic icon who died earlier this week at age 80.

The incident unfolded at Nairobi's Kasarani International Stadium, where Odinga lay in state after an emotional Anglican service led by Bishop David Kodia. Security forces, already on high alert following three deaths in Thursday's public viewing marred by police tear gas and gunfire, struggled to manage the crowds.

The Kenyan Red Cross reported the injured required urgent care, with one source at Kenyatta National Hospital confirming 18 admissions, mostly from crushing and falls.

Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics who ran unsuccessfully for president five times over three decades, passed Wednesday in India from cardiac failure. His activism helped midwife the East African nation's shift to multiparty democracy, earning him reverence despite never clinching the top job.

Friday's ceremony, attended by President William Ruto—who once campaigned alongside Odinga before becoming his rival—drew chants, portraits and peace twigs, symbols of unity in Luo tradition.

Ruto, who inked a power-sharing pact with Odinga this year amid youth-led protests, lauded his legacy: "Whenever the nation needed him to rise above the self, he always did so unreservedly."

Odinga's family stole the spotlight: Wife Ida called for peaceful grief, decrying dishonesty; daughter Winnie described his "strong, dignified" end after extra hospital laps; son Raila Jr., the sole surviving boy, vowed to shoulder family duties. Another daughter, Rosemary, joined the chorus of tributes.

The chaos echoed Thursday's tragedy, where police clashed with surging crowds at another venue, killing three and injuring 10. Political analyst Herman Manyora attributed the outpouring to Odinga's sacrifices: "You can’t point at a man more willing to sacrifice everything just for the sake of his people."

Kenyans get one last viewing Saturday in Odinga's western stronghold of Kisumu, near his Bondo rural home, before Sunday's burial. The family is honoring his wish for a swift goodbye—within 72 hours—a rarity for beloved leaders in a nation where funerals stretch into weeks of national mourning.