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DJ Krowbar recounts painful kidney illness journey that led to wife’s transplant
05th February, 2026 10:20 PM
Gospel DJ Karumba Ngatia, popularly known as DJ Krowbar, has opened up about the painful medical journey his late wife, Joyce Wanjiru Karumba, endured before her death.
Speaking emotionally during her burial on Thursday, February 5, 2026, DJ Krowbar revealed that Joyce’s health struggles began long before her passing, with her condition worsening to the point of hospital admission, followed by an extended and difficult road toward a kidney transplant.
He explained that after her diagnosis, Joyce was admitted to hospital, and about a year and a half later, towards the end of 2023, doctors officially began preparations for a kidney transplant.
“She was diagnosed and admitted, and about a year and a half later, towards the end of 2023, that is when the journey for a kidney transplant started,” he shared.
According to the DJ, this marked the start of an intense medical phase that required extensive testing to assess the state of her kidneys.
Krowbar noted that one of the key tests conducted was an ultrasound scan, which doctors use to measure the size and functionality of a patient’s kidneys.
“When that journey began, there is a specific test that you take. Doctors have to measure the size of your current kidneys. It is usually an ultrasound test where they measure the size of the organ that is already there,” he shared.
He explained that people on dialysis still have functioning kidneys, but the organs often do not operate at full capacity, with one kidney typically functioning more than the other.
In Joyce’s case, he revealed that both kidneys were operating at critically low levels. While a healthy balance would see the kidneys functioning at higher percentages, Joyce’s kidney function had dropped significantly, with doctors confirming it was below 15 per cent. He added that the actual figure was around nine per cent, highlighting how severe her condition had become.
“People on dialysis still have functioning kidneys, but what happens is that the kidneys do not operate at 100 percent. One may be functioning at 65 percent and the other at 35 percent, so one becomes bigger than the other,” he said.
The DJ recalled accompanying his wife for the ultrasound scan and later receiving the radiology report.
He said the moment they sat in the car to read the results remains etched in his memory, especially upon seeing the recorded size of Joyce’s kidney, which confirmed the seriousness of her illness and the urgent need for medical intervention.
“When they checked Joyce, the functioning of both her kidneys was below 15 per cent. The actual number was nine per cent. So we went and did that scan, and we left, and the radiologist remained behind to write the report. I remember later we were given the report, and we went to the car to read it, and I remember seeing the size that had been recorded on the kidney,” he said.
As previously reported, Joyce underwent a kidney transplant in mid-2025, a procedure that initially offered hope to the family.
However, DJ Krowbar later revealed that she faced complications following the transplant, including infections and additional health challenges that led to repeated hospital admissions.
Joyce passed away on Monday, January 26, 2026, at 3 a.m., a loss DJ Krowbar described as devastating to him and their three children.
Author
Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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