At Least 17 Killed, Mostly Catholic Pilgrims, in Kenya Road Crash

At least 17 people, mostly Catholic pilgrims, have been killed in a multiple-vehicle road crash in Kenya.

The accident occurred after midnight in the Salama area, about 90 kilometres southeast of Nairobi, on the highway leading to the coastal city of Mombasa, according to police.

Police said the crash happened when a truck driver attempted to overtake another truck but failed, resulting in a collision involving several vehicles, including a 14-seater minibus carrying pilgrims.

The minibus driver and all 16 passengers were killed at the scene. Most of the passengers were women.

The pilgrims were travelling to a prayer site in Nakuru County, west of Nairobi, according to Martin Kivuva, Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa.

Archbishop Kivuva expressed grief over the deaths, while Kenyan President William Ruto offered condolences to the victims' families, friends, parishioners and the wider Catholic community.

Kenya's National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The agency said the section of road where the accident occurred is a known accident-prone "black spot" and that recommendations had previously been made to improve safety along the route.

Road accidents remain a major problem in Kenya and other parts of Africa, with excessive speed, poorly maintained vehicles and poor road conditions frequently cited as contributing factors.

According to figures attributed to the NTSA, Kenya recorded 5,009 road traffic deaths in 2025, while 2,150 people were reportedly killed in road accidents during the first six months of 2026.