Kenyan Leaders Mourn 17 Killed En Route to Subukia Marian Shrine as Crash Investigation Begins

Kenyan leaders and the Catholic community are mourning 17 people killed in a road accident on October 3. The victims, including 16 parishioners from St. Mathias Mulumba, Mikindani Parish of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa and their driver, were traveling to the National Marian Shrine in Subukia for the 2026 annual National Prayer Day.

The collision involving several vehicles occurred in the early morning at Salama in Makueni County. President William Samoei Ruto issued a statement on October 3 offering condolences to the families, friends, and the Catholic community. Nashon Kondiwa, Director General of the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), stated that the injured are receiving medical treatment and that investigators have been dispatched to determine the circumstances of the crash.

The National Prayer Day took place at the shrine within the Catholic Diocese of Nakuru, gathering bishops, priests, religious men and women, and lay faithful from the metropolitan sees of Mombasa, Kisumu, Nairobi, and Nyeri.