The decks fell silent today as the Kenyan gospel fraternity gathered to support one of its most beloved sons, DJ Krowbar, in a devastating final farewell to his wife, Joyce Wanjiru Karumba.
In scenes of raw emotion at the Nairobi Chapel on Ngong Road, the award-winning DJ—born Karumba Ngatia—was seen trembling and weeping openly as he stood before the casket of the woman he called his “greatest fruit.”
Admitting to the congregation that he had not slept a single wink the night before, Krowbar revealed he had spent the dark hours rewatching a hauntingly beautiful video of Joyce recorded in Cape Town shortly after their last anniversary.
In the video, which Krowbar described as his final lifeline, Joyce is seen offering words of prophetic encouragement to her husband, seemingly unaware of the tragedy that lay just months ahead.
“She was reminding me that everything we endured would bear fruit,” a sobbing Krowbar told the mourners.
“She was encouraging me through a tough year, telling me to keep going. I watched it over and over just to hear her voice one more time.”
The couple had become symbols of hope for thousands of Kenyans after documenting their grueling battle with kidney failure.
After years of dialysis, there was national celebration in mid-2025 when Joyce successfully underwent a kidney transplant. However, the joy was short-lived as complications began to arise late last year.
Despite the best efforts of medical teams, Joyce’s journey on earth came to a sudden end at 3 a.m. on January 26, 2026.
The loss has sent shockwaves through the Christian community.
Following a week of solemn prayer meetings at All Saints Cathedral, the focus shifted to Nyeri County today, where the final interment is taking place in the Naromoru area.
Throughout the service, friends and fellow gospel artists described Joyce as a “pillar of steel” who supported Krowbar’s career from the early days of Tukuza to his international ministry.
As the cortege began the long drive to the shadows of Mount Kenya for the burial, the image of a distraught Krowbar being held up by family members remained etched in the minds of those present.
“Her journey on earth has ended,” said a family spokesperson, “but the fruit of her strength will live on in her children and the man she helped build.”
