Catholic Church Releases Names of 17 Members Who Died in Mombasa Road Accident

A Catholic parish in Mombasa has released the names of 17 people who were travelling to Subukia National Shrine in Nakuru County when their journey ended in a devastating road accident in Salama, Makueni County.

The travellers were members of St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Parish in Mikindani, Mombasa. They had departed from the coastal city on Friday afternoon after receiving a blessing at the parish before beginning their journey to Subukia, where they were scheduled to attend the National Prayer Day organised by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The group was travelling in a matatu that was involved in a multi-vehicle collision along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway shortly after midnight on Saturday. Police said 17 people died in the accident, while six others sustained injuries.

Following the crash, the bodies were transferred to the mortuary at Sultan Hamud Sub County Hospital as authorities began investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision.

The list released by the church contains the names of 16 parishioners and the driver. They are Janet Miito, Florence Atieno, Jane Mwakamba, Josephat Mekonge, Hilkah Orina, Linah Akinyi, Veronicah Musyimi, Martha Nzyoki, Ann Mwanthi, Sarapia Mwarimbo, Scholastica Ochieng, Catherine Joseph, Beatrice Oluoch, Veronica Ngandi, Regina Mwai, Samuel Muigai and driver Samuel Mwanyasi.

However, church officials cautioned that the list should not yet be treated as a confirmed identification of the victims. They said the parish was still working with authorities and relatives to establish which individuals were among those who died.

Father Augustine Lappe said the parish learned about the accident in the morning and immediately began communicating with the affected families. According to the priest, relatives were preparing to travel to Makueni to assist with the identification process before the church could officially confirm the deceased and make funeral arrangements.

He added that the parish would continue providing emotional and spiritual support to the families as they dealt with the tragedy.

The journey had begun at approximately 2:30pm on Friday. The pilgrims were heading to Subukia for a major Catholic prayer gathering when the fatal crash occurred.

Shillah Rose, whose aunt was reportedly among those killed, described her relative as healthy and active before leaving for the pilgrimage. She said the woman had two young children.

Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Nassir, President William Ruto and former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua were among leaders who expressed condolences to the families and the Catholic community.

The parish continues to liaise with authorities as families await the official identification and release of the bodies.

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