Salama highway crash kills 17; Mombasa pilgrims bound for Subukia among the dead

At least 17 people died in a multi-vehicle crash at Mlima Kiu in the Salama area of the Nairobi–Mombasa highway at about 00:10 on Saturday 3 October 2026, Kenyan police said, Xinhua reported. Pilgrims from a Mombasa parish, on their way to the National Prayer Day at the Subukia shrine in Nakuru County, were among the dead, according to the Archdiocese of Mombasa.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) said it has sent a multi-disciplinary crash investigation team to Salama "to establish the full circumstances leading to the crash, including vehicle inspection and compliance", according to KBC.

The number of church members among the dead differs by source. The Archdiocese of Mombasa, through Archbishop Martin Kivuva, announced the deaths of "seventeen (17) pilgrims from St. Mathias Mulumba, Mikindani". Archbishop Maurice Muhatia Makumba, chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, spoke of "the loss of 15 pilgrims" and said all of them were from one parish, ACI Africa reported. The Star's report on the families cites 16 church members dead.

What police say happened

According to police, as reported by Xinhua, the driver of a truck heading for Mombasa tried to overtake a line of vehicles and clipped the rear right side of another truck travelling in the same direction. Capital FM, citing police, said the first truck then lost control, sideswiped two oncoming vehicles and hit a minibus head-on, and stopped after it struck another oncoming truck.

The Star named the vehicles: a Sinotruk that rammed a Hino, then collided sideways with an oncoming Peugeot and Toyota Noah, hit a Toyota Hiace matatu head-on and finally struck a Nissan UD. It said the crash was reported at Salama Police Station.

Accounts of who died also differ. Xinhua and Capital FM, citing police, listed the minibus driver, all 12 minibus passengers and the first truck's driver. The Star listed the matatu driver and 12 passengers, plus the Sinotruk driver and three truck passengers. AP, as carried by ABC News, said the van driver and 16 passengers died.

KBC and Kenyans.co.ke gave a different cause: a lorry's brakes failed and it rammed into several vehicles, including a 14-seater matatu. Kenyans.co.ke also reported that seven others were rushed to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital. Dr Stephen Mwangangi, the hospital's medical superintendent, described the crash as "a chain of accidents", the Star reported.

The parish and the families

The dead belonged to St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Church in Mikindani Parish, Mombasa, part of the Archdiocese of Mombasa. The Star reported that the group received a prayer and blessing at the church after 2:30pm on Friday before leaving for Subukia. Its report named Scholastica Ochieng, the church choir chair, and Anna Mwangi among the victims.

Father Agostine Lape, a priest at the church, was quoted by the Star as saying: "We pray for this road carnage to end. This is too much to take in." Margaret Mregi, quoted in the same report, said: "It was a shock to us. This has never happened to our church."

President William Ruto said he was "deeply saddened by the tragic loss of 17 pilgrims" and that "our heartfelt condolences go to the families, friends, parishioners and the entire Catholic community", KBC reported.

A road NTSA has flagged

KBC reported that NTSA had identified the Mlima Kiu–Salama stretch as a road blackspot and had made recommendations on safety along it. After the crash the authority urged motorists to "exercise caution, avoid dangerous overtaking and strictly observe lane discipline as investigations continue".

Kenyans.co.ke, citing NTSA, reported that more than 2,100 people died on Kenyan roads in the first half of 2026, an 11 per cent rise on the same period of 2025. It said the crash caused heavy traffic on the highway and forced motorists to seek alternative routes.