A Requiem Mass is underway at St. Mathias Mulumba Catholic Church in Mikindani, Mombasa, for 17 pilgrims who died in a road crash while travelling to Subukia for the annual National Prayer Day.
The Mass, being held on Thursday, October 8, is led by Coadjutor Archbishop Dominic Kimengich, alongside priests from the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. Relatives, friends, parishioners and other faithful have gathered to pray for the deceased and stand with their bereaved families.
The 17 victims comprised 16 parishioners of St. Mathias Mulumba Parish and the driver of the vehicle they were travelling in. They died in the early hours of October 3 after the Toyota Hiace van carrying them was involved in a multi-vehicle crash at Mlima Kiu near Salama along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway in Makueni County.
The pilgrims were travelling from Mombasa to the National Shrine in Subukia, Nakuru County, for the annual National Prayer Day when the journey ended in tragedy. The Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa subsequently identified all 17 victims and began coordinating with their families on funeral arrangements.
Nine of the bodies were later transported to Mombasa, while the remaining eight were taken to different parts of the country according to arrangements made by their families. The church has continued to support the families and parish community as preparations for the final send-offs proceed.
The Mass provides an opportunity for the Mikindani parish community and the wider Catholic Church to mourn the victims collectively, remember their lives and pray for the repose of their souls.
The crash involved several vehicles, and the National Transport and Safety Authority dispatched investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision. The section of the highway where the accident occurred has previously been identified as a road safety black spot.
As the Requiem Mass continues, the Catholic community in Mombasa is remembering the 17 pilgrims whose journey to Subukia ended in tragedy, while their families prepare for their final send-off.
