Kenya held a state funeral on Friday for Raila Odinga, a former prime minister and opposition leader whose decades of political struggle made him a powerful symbol of the country’s democracy.

Thousands of people attended the funeral, held at Nyayo National Stadium in the capital, Nairobi, many waving handkerchiefs and bearing large portraits of Mr. Odinga, who died Wednesday at age 80 in India, where he had gone for medical treatment.

At the funeral, President William Ruto of Kenya paid his respects to Mr. Odinga. “Every once in a generation, there comes a leader whose impact transcends their moment, whose courage inspires change and whose vision shapes destinies,” he said. Mr. Odinga “may no longer walk with us, but his spirit lives within every Kenyan and every African,” Mr. Ruto added, standing on a dais before the coffin, which was draped with the national flag. The presidents of Somalia and Ethiopia and other senior politicians from the region also attended the funeral.

Mr. Ruto has declared seven days of national mourning for Mr. Odinga, who played a pivotal role in the fight for multiparty democracy as the Cold War ended and as Kenya emerged to become one of Africa’s leading powers.

On Thursday, at least three people were killed at a memorial for Mr. Odinga held at a different stadium in Nairobi, according to Kenyan news outlets, when the police, apparently trying to control the large crowds, opened fire and used tear gas. At the funeral on Friday, several mourners received treatment after a stampede.

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