Scene of the accident where 17 people died on October 3, 2026Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde has mourned 17 pilgrims from St Mathias Mulumba Parish, Mikindani, who died in a road accident at Salama along the Nairobi-Mombasa highway.
The pilgrims were travelling to the National Shrine in Subukia for the National Prayer Day when the crash occurred at Mlima Kiu in Salama, Kilome, early Saturday morning.
In a message addressed to priests, religious men and women and the lay faithful, Archbishop Kivuva expressed grief over the deaths of the 17 pilgrims.
“We are saddened with lots of grief to announce the untimely passing of seventeen (17) pilgrims from St. Mathias Mulumba, Mikindani, in an accident that occurred at Salama,” he said.
The accident occurred at about 12.10 am on October 3, 2026.
The pilgrims were among Catholic faithful travelling to Subukia for the National Prayer Day, an annual religious gathering at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Nakuru County.
The church asked the faithful to pray for the deceased and their families as they come to terms with the loss.
“Let us pray for the repose of their souls as we pray for their families, St. Mathias Mulumba Parish and the Archdiocese as a whole, so that we may find solace and consolation in the Lord,” Archbishop Kivuva said.
Archbishop Kivuva also extended prayers to the wider parish community, which was affected by the deaths of the pilgrims.
St Mathias Mulumba Parish in Mikindani is part of the Archdiocese of Mombasa.
The Archbishop concluded his message by asking for prayers for the deceased.
“May their souls rest in peace. Amen,” he said.
According to police at Salama Police Station, the truck driver allegedly failed to keep to his proper lane while overtaking a fleet of vehicles and rammed into the rear right side of a Hino.
The impact caused the Sinotruk driver to lose control before it collided sideways with an oncoming Peugeot and a Toyota Noah.
Police said the truck then swerved into the climbing lane, where it collided head-on with a Toyota Hiace PSV matatu.
The out-of-control truck was subsequently stopped after colliding with a Nissan UD, which was travelling from Mombasa towards Nairobi.
Police said the driver of the matatu and 12 passengers died at the scene. The driver of the Sinotruk, Shijire, and three passengers travelling in the truck also died on the spot.
Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Stephen Mwangangi said the crash involved a chain of accidents and confirmed that 17 people had died.
“It was a chain of accidents. It involved a 14-seater matatu that was headed towards Nairobi and a lorry. A lorry rammed into another lorry, pulled it and caused a chain of accidents. In the process, a head-on collision between the 14-seater matatu and the lorry occurred,” Mwangangi said.
The accident was reported at Salama Police Station as a fatal road traffic accident.
