Who was Njambi Koikai? Popular Reggae DJ and Radio star dies of endometriosis

Njambi Koikai, a popular Reggae DJ died of endometriosis on Monday, June 3, 2024, at the Nairobi hospital. According to a source who spoke to The Star, Koikai passed away while being in the ICU.

Koikai had a lucrative career in the entertainment industry and had expressed some interest in politics as well. Njambi Koikai has constantly used her platform to raise awareness about the condition that she was suffering from.

Before her death, Koikai sent a heartfelt message to Kenyan President Williams Ruto, primarily explaining the need to invest more in healthcare with a focus on women's suffering during endometriosis. She explained that about 1 in 10 women in the world is suffering from this disease.

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Reggae DJ Njambi Koikai who passed away of endometriosis, spread awareness regarding the condition

37-year-old Njambi Koikai was quite a well-known name amongst Reggae MCs. Koikai was raised by her mother and grandmother, as reported by mpasho.com. In 2016, Koikai's grandma passed away after suffering from stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

The singer had struggled in school due to endometriosis. This led to her getting expelled from four separate schools. She faced most struggles in high school. To finish her primary education, she studied at St. Hannah’s Prep School and Makini School.

She then got her degree in international relations from United States International University, which took her about 8 years to finish due to health conditions. She has hosted several shows on Metro FM and QFM, which gained her fame. Over the years, she has performed with several popular reggae DJs.

She eventually founded a company called Street Empire Entertainment too. Njambi Koikai added that her disease also made her inclined to politics. She contested for the Dagoretti South MP seat, which she, however, lost.

It was the DJ's uncle who encouraged her to follow the path of reggae music. While she was initially trained to be a DJ, she developed an interest in emceeing as well. She was also the manager of Sauti Sol before the group was formed. Before she left to receive treatment, she was a host of NTV's The Trend.

Njambi, also known as, Fyah Mummah, who was in the hospital, also appealed for blood donation. According to the appeal that she posted on her Instagram story, she wrote,

"Hi fam, I'm currently admitted at the Pioneer Ward Nairobi hospital and I kindly need Blood O positive. Kindly asking for blood donors for Mary Njambi Koikai."

That death came as a shock for her fans as well, who sent condolences to the late DJ's family. A lot of fans claimed that she was their primary source of entertainment. On May 20, a few weeks before she passed away, Njambi wrote a letter addressing President Ruto. In the letter, she wrote,

"This is a sincere and heartfelt call of help to a few Kenyan leaders but allow me to address this to President William Ruto first as he makes his state visit to the US."

She further added the significance of learning and visiting the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, Georgia which has become a major epicenter of research for endometriosis.

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Njambi was reportedly fighting with endometriosis for a long time but got the diagnosis in 2018

Njambi Koikai mentioned that it took her about 17 years to receive a diagnosis, and due to the late diagnosis, the situation worsened. She mentioned that after raising sufficient funds to begin the proper treatment, the disease had already spread from her lungs to her teeth, appendix, and heart, and had reached the spine as well.

Senator Gloria Orwoba, who was a friend of the late DJ, expressed her deepest condolences on X. Orwoba wrote,

"My heart is broken. It is not fair. We lost @JahmbyKoikai last night. Our warrior is gone."

NRG Radio presenter Natalie Githinji, Koikai's best friend, and also another woman suffering from endometriosis, expressed her pain after Koikai passed away. She wrote,

"If you think I'm mentally okay. Well, I'm f****d. Sis, my only hope, my bestie, we talked so many nights for hours about endometriosis, about our health..."

She is survived by her mother and younger sister.