The music fell silent in the slopes of Naru Moru as the Kenyan gospel fraternity gathered to lay to rest Joyce Wanjiru Karumba, the wife of the award-winning DJ Krowbar.
In a scene of raw, unfiltered grief, the DJ—born Karumba Ngatia—shared the intimate and agonizing details of the medical journey that eventually claimed the life of the woman he called his “greatest fruit.”
Standing before a somber congregation on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Krowbar revealed that by the time they began transplant preparations in late 2023, Joyce’s kidney function had plummeted to a terrifying nine per cent.
Krowbar recounted the specific day they received the results of an ultrasound scan, a moment he says is “etched in his memory.”
“I remember later we were given the report, and we went to the car to read it. I remember seeing the size that had been recorded on the kidney,” he told mourners, his voice trembling.
“The functioning of both her kidneys was below 15 per cent. The actual number was nine per cent.”
The family’s story has been one of immense resilience. In June 2025, Joyce’s younger sister, Mercy Wambui, was hailed as a hero after donating one of her kidneys to save Joyce.
While the transplant initially offered a new lease on life, the victory was short-lived. Complications and recurring infections led to multiple hospital admissions throughout late 2025.
Despite the best efforts of doctors, Joyce passed away at 3 a.m. on Monday, January 26, leaving behind her husband and their three children: Toria, Riri, and Imani.
Addressing his children during the service, a distraught but determined Krowbar echoed the words his wife had used in a prophetic video recorded months before her death.
“Fortunately for you, you have a strong-willed father,” he told his young children.
“This is going to be our best year yet. I don’t know how, but I am speaking this. So much fruit will come out of this pain.”
DJ Krowbar recounts the painful moment they found out his wife was diagnosed with kidney disease. pic.twitter.com/L8zK8UV74l
— The Kiambu Magazine (@kiambu_magazine) February 5, 2026
