17 Catholic pilgrims die in Kenya road crash

At least 17 people, most of them Catholic pilgrims, have died in a road accident on a highway leading to the Kenyan port city of Mombasa after a truck attempting to overtake another vehicle collided with a minivan.

The crash occurred in Salama in the early hours of Saturday, killing all 15 occupants of the minivan, including 14 pilgrims and the driver, according to local authorities.

Africanews reports that three people travelling in the truck also died, bringing the death toll to at least 17.

“We witnessed an accident that is quite tragic,” said Justus Mwanzia, a member of the county assembly.

The pilgrims were travelling to a Catholic prayer site in Nakuru County, west of the capital, Nairobi, when the collision occurred.

Martin Kivuva, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa, said the church was mourning the victims.

“We are saddened with lots of grief,” Archbishop Kivuva said in a statement, expressing condolences to the bereaved families and the wider Catholic community.

Following the tragedy, Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) urged motorists to exercise extreme caution on the roads, avoid dangerous overtaking and strictly observe lane discipline.

The agency noted that the section of the highway where the accident occurred is a known “black spot” and said recommendations had already been made to improve safety along the stretch.

Kenyan President, William Ruto, also conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims, their friends, parishioners and the entire Catholic community.

Road accidents remain a major challenge in Kenya and across Africa, with crashes frequently linked to speeding, dangerous overtaking, poorly maintained vehicles and poor road infrastructure.

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