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Three years ago, DJ FREDRICK KARUMBA aka DJ Krowbar and his family relocated to South Africa. His wife WANJIRU KARUMBA shares about their lives in a foreign land.

Harriet James @harriet86jim

Three years ago, award-winning gospel DJ, Fredrick Karumba aka DJ Krowbar relocated to South Africa with his family.

He had gone to pursue further studies in Audio Engineering at the Sound and Engineering (SAE) Institute of South Africa. 

“Six months before he finished his final year, my husband knew he would not stay permanently in South Africa.

He had opportunities to work there, but he turned them down because he was not at peace,” says Wanjiru Karumba, the DJ’s wife  

While the travel to the unknown seemed like a great adventure, leaving the familiar was one of the challenges that the family faced.

Wanjiru had a successful business in Kenya as a fashion designer, had a routine, a family and friends she loved and cared for. She was now moving to another country to start life all over again.

Their children also missed home and sometimes she didn’t know how to respond when they started asking when they were going back home. 

“I reset my mind, focused and told myself that this would just be for a while and then we will head back home.

I had to make up my mind that the three years would be my best and I’ll do what I could to make them so,” she says.

Their first year was difficult as they were settling in, adapting to new norms and culture.

Though they found some warm people who assisted them adapt, they faced racism and xenophobia. 

No comparison

“I found that the moment you meet a South African, the first interaction they have with you is in their local language and when they realise you cannot speak their language, they switch off and get pissed that they will have to communicate in English with you.

Fortunately, when xenophobic attacks happened last year, we were in a safe neighbourhood as it happened in the outskirts of Capetown, not inside the town,” she recalls. 

They were also impressed by affordable life in South Africa. Wanjiru continued with her fashion and design job as her husband went to school.

She was happy she could purchase high quality fabric for her creations at a cheap price. South Africans too appreciate art and hence she found market for her products.

Food too was cheap and according to her, even beggars in the streets could afford a meal at KFC or even Mac Donald unlike here where such joints are often linked with the middle class.

Nevertheless, housing is expensive and they were also shocked by the high number of people in South Africa who smoke.

“What we loved about South Africa was the fact that Capetown is breathtaking and I was blessed to enjoy the sceneries for the time we were there. We rarely spent time in the house as we were busy exploring,” she narrates. 

Another fact that the Krowbars were impressed with is how the lives of DJs is better in developed economies.

“DJs in South Africa are big and make a killing. In addition, they play 100 per cent original material comprising of their compositions, their own beats and their own songs. I was also impressed by how they appreciate their artistes,” she adds. 

Support as a wife 

The family jetted back in the country seven months ago, and were happy to be home at last. “South Africa was really good to us, but Kenya is home,” she says.

The couple has been married for 10 years. During the first year of their marriage, Wanjiru had to contend with him attending various events, meaning time and availability was a challenge.

Over time, Wanjiku has learnt to be a pillar of support to her husband. Now that his brand has grown, one of the challenges of being the wife of a DJ is that one can easily lose their identity. 

“People now refer to you as huyo ni bibi ya Krowbar or hao ni watoto wa Krowbar and sometimes you have to tell people that my name is Wanjiru.

But with time you learn to ground yourself and also get used to it and understand that it’s part of the package,” she explains. 

The couple has three children; two daughters Toriah and Riri and a son, Imani.

The birth of their son on February this year was another tough season in their life as the child was born prematurely at 34 weeks. Mother and child had to stay in hospital for three weeks. 

“It was a tough pregnancy and having him was such a miracle. That’s why we called him Imani because it was a journey of faith.

There was a lot of uncertainty from my end because he was born early,” she narrates.

The girls love their brother and are so protective. The father of three is currently a DJ in a popular TV show and is also imparting the new skills he acquired in South Africa to young students as a lecturer in African Digital Media Institute (ADMI) where he teaches audio engineering and sound for TV, film and documentaries.