06/10/2026
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟳 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗺𝘀
Religious and political leaders today attended a requiem Mass to condole with families of 17 people who died in a road crash in Salama, Makueni County, while travelling to the Subukia Shrine in Nakuru County on pilgrimage.
The victims, comprising 16 pilgrims and the driver, died after the vehicle they were travelling in was involved in a multi-vehicle crash along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.
According to accounts given during a special Mass held for the victims at St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Church, the crash occurred after a lorry attempted to overtake another vehicle by moving into the opposite lane. It collided with a second lorry before crashing into the Matatu carrying the pilgrims and a Nissan car.
Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, Dominic Kimengich, called on the government to expand the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway into a dual carriageway, saying the road is too narrow to safely accommodate the volume of traffic it is expected to carry.
Postmortem reports indicated that the 17 victims suffered soft-tissue injuries, bone fractures and head injuries, which contributed to their deaths.
Jomvu MP Badi Twalib Bady, who attended the Mass, said President William Ruto had personally called him to acknowledge the tragedy and had also offered his condolences on social media.
He said the national government, through the Office of the Deputy County Commissioner, would cater for all funeral expenses, including travel arrangements for the bereaved families.
Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir pledged the county government’s support to the affected families.
“Your tears are my tears; your loss is my loss,” Nassir said while consoling the bereaved during the Mass.
Family members of the victims also spoke during the service. Sarah Nashivanda, whose mother was among those killed, said she would accept the loss, describing her mother as a role model.
Shillah Rose, who lost her aunt in the crash, recalled a conversation they had four days before the journey, during which her aunt showed her the way to her home.
“Perhaps she wanted me to know the way in her absence,” Rose said.
St Mathias Mulumba Parish Priest, Fr Patrick Maingi, said some of the pilgrims had appeared unusually reflective in the days leading up to the trip, with several of them travelling beyond Taita-Taveta County for the first time.
