17 Catholic Pilgrims Killed on Journey to National Prayer Day
Prayer journey ends to tragically as 17 pilgrims die.
BY: (TRIZZA KAFWA)
A journey that began with prayers ended in tragedy after 17 Catholic pilgrims from Mombasa lost their lives in a road accident along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
The victims, who were members of St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Parish in Mikindani, were travelling to the Subukia National Shrine in Nakuru County for the annual National Prayer Day when the accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, October 3, 2026.
The crash happened at Mlima Kiu near Salama in Makueni County shortly after midnight. The pilgrims were travelling in a Toyota Hiace van when it was involved in a chain collision involving several vehicles.
According to police, the accident began when a truck allegedly failed to keep to its proper lane while overtaking. The truck collided with other vehicles before hitting the van carrying the pilgrims. All 17 occupants of the van died in the crash.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa confirmed the deaths, with Archbishop Martin Kivuva expressing grief over the loss and asking Christians to pray for the victims and their families.
The news sent shockwaves through Mikindani, where families and fellow parishioners had been waiting for the pilgrims to return from the religious journey.
On Sunday, the parish held a special Mass to mourn the 17 members. Relatives, church leaders and local political leaders gathered as the community came to terms with the sudden loss.
The victims included 14 women and three men. Their bodies were taken to Sultan Hamud Hospital mortuary for identification and postmortem examinations before being transported back to Mombasa.
The tragedy has also raised fresh concerns about road safety along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway. The National Transport and Safety Authority has identified the section where the crash occurred as a black spot and dispatched a team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.
Several other people were injured in the crash, although some of those taken to hospital were later discharged. Investigations into the accident are still ongoing.
For the families of the victims, what was expected to be a peaceful pilgrimage has instead become a painful farewell. The pilgrims had left Mombasa hoping to join thousands of other faithful in prayer at Subukia. They will now be remembered by their families and church community for the lives they lived and the faith they shared.
