The former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo appeared in public Wednesday for the first time since being sentenced to death in absentia for treason and war crimes, meeting other leaders in Kenya in an attempt to establish a political group in opposition to Congo's current president.

President William Ruto, in a sombre address from State House on Wednesday night, announced a seven-day period of national mourning and a state funeral for the veteran opposition leader, describing him as “a giant of democracy, a fearless freedom fighter, and one of Africa’s greatest sons.”

Odinga's body will next travel to his family's home region of western Kenya, where more huge crowds are expected.

He stood as Africa’s foremost opposition leader and a tireless champion of democracy, a moral compass whose defiance outlasted regimes, reshaped constitutions and inspired generations