They never reached their destination.
Instead, their journey ended shortly after midnight at Mlima Kiu in the Salama area of Makueni County, where a chain of collisions involving several vehicles claimed 17 lives.
The victims were members of St Mathias Mulumba Catholic Church in Mikindani, Mombasa, and were travelling to Subukia for the Catholic gathering.
The tragedy has since plunged the Mikindani parish, families and the wider Catholic community into mourning.
A journey that began with a blessing
According to the parish, the pilgrims had gathered at St Mathias Mulumba before beginning their journey northwards.
Father Augustine Lappe said the group had been blessed at the church before setting off.
A list prepared for the journey contained the names of 17 people linked to the group, although the parish initially said formal identification of the deceased was still being undertaken.
The pilgrims were expected to join thousands of Catholics at Subukia National Shrine for the National Prayer Day, with Holy Mass scheduled for Saturday morning.
For the travellers, it was supposed to be a journey of faith.
By dawn, it had become a journey of grief.
What happened at Salama
The crash occurred at Mlima Kiu along the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway shortly after midnight.
Police said a lorry travelling towards Mombasa allegedly failed to keep its lane while attempting to overtake other vehicles.
The lorry collided with another truck before losing control and hitting several vehicles.
A 14-seater matatu carrying the pilgrims was caught in the chain of collisions, resulting in the deaths of its driver and passengers.
Other vehicles were also involved in the crash.
Makueni County officials and medical authorities described the incident as a chain of accidents involving multiple vehicles.
Medical Superintendent Stephen Mwangangi said several injured people were taken to Sultan Hamud Sub-County Hospital.
Six survivors who had suffered soft-tissue injuries were treated and discharged, while one of the truck drivers, who sustained serious head and abdominal injuries, was transferred to Makueni County Referral Hospital.
A witness heard an explosion
The scale of the crash became apparent after residents near the highway were alerted by a loud sound.
One witness told the media that he heard what sounded like an explosion between 11pm and midnight before residents rushed towards the road.
They found several vehicles involved in the devastating collision.
The crash caused a major traffic disruption along one of Kenya's busiest highways as emergency responders and police worked at the scene.
Church receives devastating news
The Catholic Church in Mombasa was among the first institutions to confirm that the victims were its members.
Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde expressed grief over the loss, describing the deaths as a painful blow to the parish and the wider Archdiocese of Mombasa.
“We are saddened and grief-stricken,” the Archbishop said while announcing the deaths of the pilgrims.
The Archbishop also urged Christians to pray for the deceased, their families and the parish.
The church began coordinating with families as efforts to identify the bodies and make arrangements for burial got underway.
Families left with painful memories
For relatives, the tragedy came after hours of anticipation as their loved ones travelled towards Subukia.
The Standard reported the account of Sarah Nashivanda, who said she had spoken to her mother shortly before the journey.
She recalled the conversation as an ordinary exchange between mother and daughter, unaware that it would become one of their final conversations.
Another parishioner, Margaret Muregi, said she had lost four friends in the crash, including choir leader Scholastica Ochieng.
The accounts have offered a glimpse into the personal loss behind the official figure of 17 deaths.
NTSA launches investigation
The National Transport and Safety Authority has since dispatched a multidisciplinary crash investigation team to Salama.
The team is working with the National Police Service to establish the circumstances that led to the deadly collision, including examining vehicle inspection and compliance issues.
NTSA has also identified the Mlima Kiu-Salama stretch as a blackspot and urged motorists to exercise extreme caution.
The authority warned drivers against dangerous overtaking and urged strict observance of lane discipline as investigations continue.
“The Authority” said its investigation would help establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and inform further action.
Ruto, Gachagua and other leaders mourn
President William Ruto joined Kenyans in mourning the 17 victims, extending condolences to their families, friends, parishioners and the Catholic community.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and other political leaders also sent messages of condolence following the tragedy.
The crash occurred on the same day Catholics across Kenya gathered for the National Prayer Day at Subukia.
For the St Mathias Mulumba pilgrims, however, the journey to the shrine ended before they could reach the place where they had hoped to pray.
Questions remain over the deadly crash
As families mourn and the church begins preparations to lay the victims to rest, attention has shifted to the circumstances that caused the collision.
Why did the lorry leave its lane?
Were all the vehicles involved compliant with safety requirements?
Could the crash have been prevented?
Those are among the questions expected to be addressed by the ongoing investigation.
What is already clear is that a journey that began in Mikindani as an act of faith ended at Salama in one of the country's deadliest road tragedies in recent months.
Seventeen people who had set out for Subukia did not make it to the shrine.
Their journey ended on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway, leaving families, friends and an entire parish waiting for answers.
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