Tragic Highway Crash in Kenya Claims the Lives of 17 Catholic Pilgrims

A devastating multi-vehicle collision on the highway leading to the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa has resulted in the deaths of at least 17 people, the majority of whom were Catholic pilgrims traveling to a prayer site.

According to police, the fatal incident occurred just after midnight in the Salama area, located approximately 90 kilometres (about 55 miles) southeast of the capital Nairobi. The crash was triggered when a truck driver attempted an unsafe overtaking maneuver against another truck, resulting in a violent collision with multiple vehicles, including a van transporting the pilgrims.

Kenyan media reported that the victims were passengers in a 14-seater minibus. Tragically, the van's driver and all 16 passengers—predominantly women—lost their lives at the scene. Martin Kivuva, archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, stated that the group was en route to a prayer site located in Nakuru County, west of Nairobi. In an official statement, the archbishop expressed profound grief over the tragedy.

President William Ruto extended his deepest condolences to the grieving families, friends, parishioners, and the wider Catholic community. In response to the disaster, Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) initiated an official investigation. Investigators have been dispatched to determine the exact circumstances of the collision, though authorities noted that this particular stretch of the highway is a well-known accident black spot where previous safety recommendations have been proposed.

Road safety remains a significant challenge across the African continent. In Kenya and neighboring regions, frequent traffic accidents are often attributed to excessive speed, poor road infrastructure, and poorly maintained vehicles. Data from the NTSA indicates that Kenya recorded 5,009 road traffic fatalities last year, with an additional 2,150 deaths reported during the first six months of 2026.