A Huge Loss To Catholic Church: Four Nuns, Including Superior General, Perish In Head-On Collision

By Our Reporter

Tragedy struck the Catholic Church on Monday night when four nuns of the Congregation of the Carmelite Missionaries of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, including the Superior General, Sister Nelina Semeoni, were killed in a horrific road accident in Mwanza Region.

The crash occurred at 7:50 p.m. on September 15, 2025, at Bukumbi Village in Idetemya Ward, Misungwi District, along the Usagara–Kigongo Ferry road. The nuns were traveling from their Bukumbi community to Mwanza Airport, intending to continue to Dar es Salaam after attending a perpetual vows ceremony for three sisters in Kahama, Shinyanga Region, two days earlier.

Mwanza Regional Police Commander, DCP Wilbrod Mtafungwa, confirmed that the accident involved a Toyota Land Cruiser belonging to Bukumbi Girls Secondary School and a lorry owned by Nyanza Road Works Company.

“In the accident, four people died on the spot, while the Toyota Land Cruiser driver succumbed to his injuries at Bukumbi Hospital,” Mtafungwa said in a Tuesday statement.
“Preliminary investigations indicate the cause of the crash was overspeeding. The Land Cruiser attempted to overtake another vehicle without caution and collided head-on with the oncoming lorry.”

Victims Identified

The deceased include:

• Sister Nelina Semeoni (60) – Superior General of the Congregation, a globally respected figure in the Carmelite Missionary order.
• Sister Lilian Kapongo (55) – Assistant Superior General and a resident of Tabora.
• Sister Damaris Matheka (51) – Headmistress of Bukumbi Girls Secondary School and a Kenyan national.
• Sister Stellamaris Kamene Muthin (48) – Member of the Bukumbi community.
• Mr. Boniphace Msonola (53) – Driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser, who died while receiving treatment.

The only survivor, Sister Pauline Mipata (20), a student supervisor at Bukumbi Girls Secondary School, is admitted at Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital in critical but stable condition.

Community in Mourning

The Catholic community across East Africa is reeling from the loss. The late Sister Nelina Semeoni was revered for her leadership and missionary work that inspired countless young women to join religious life. The congregation described her death as “an irreplaceable loss.”

The nuns had just participated in a joyous occasion — the perpetual vows ceremony, which represents the final step in a nun’s lifelong commitment to religious service — when the accident abruptly ended their journey.

The bodies of the deceased have been preserved at Bugando Referral Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The lorry driver, identified as Mr. Venance Mashaka (61), is in police custody to assist with investigations.

Police have once again urged motorists to respect road safety regulations.
“This tragedy is a painful reminder that overspeeding and reckless overtaking cost lives,” Commander Mtafungwa said, appealing to drivers to exercise extreme caution, especially on busy roads.

Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the congregation and the Catholic Diocese of Mwanza later this week.