Media personality Njambi Koikai, best known as Jahmby or Fyah Mummah to her fans has died aged 37.
Family and friends confirmed Ms Njambi’s passing on Tuesday morning.
Senator Gloria Orwoba, a friend of the entertainer, was one of the first to share the news online.
“My heart is broken. It is not fair…Our warrior is gone,” she said.
My heart is broken. It is not fair. We lost @JahmbyKoikai last night.
Our warrior is gone. pic.twitter.com/xBUzMl8P2F— Gloria Orwoba (@gloria_orwoba) June 4, 2024
Over the weekend she was admitted to hospital before appealing for blood donations from her fans.
Her appeal was also echoed by Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba who said: “The endo-warrior is at Nairobi Hospital, she requires blood group O+ as she battles with endometriosis. Let’s help Njambi get back on her feet again… Find your way to Nairobi Hospital and donate some blood towards Njambi’s blood bank.”
Ms Koikai has long been an advocate for women living with the condition.
Long Battle with endometriosis
In 2018 she revealed that she suffered from thoracic endometriosis, a condition in which tissue that normally lines the inside of your uterus, the endometrium, grows outside the uterus.
She told the BBC that she was sharing her story in an effort to raise awareness about the disease.
In 2022, she shared a picture of herself lying in a hospital bed and revealed the true cost of the condition to her body.
“The tubes in my chest in this picture were not all fixed in one day. It started with one chest tube, then the regular x-ray sessions the following morning showed I had some pockets of water in my lungs. I was taken into the operating room and another chest tube was inserted,” she narrated.
“I ended up with five tubes. The howling, growling and pumping of the tubes was nothing I ever imagined. My tiny body was drained, pumped with medication and emaciated.”
She finished off the post by explaining why advocacy and getting into elective politics was so important for people like her.
Ms Njambi eventually conceded defeat.
As a result of her advocacy, in 2023, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya appointed Ms Koikai as the county’s official endometriosis ambassador.
It would be a game-changer for the Kenyan delegation to visit the Center For Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, Georgia. Send our gynaecologists, pulmonogists, neurologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists for further training or fellowships.
— Jahmby Koikai (@JahmbyKoikai) May 19, 2024
During President Ruto’s state visit to the United States, the entertainer wrote an appeal to the President urging him to look toward healthcare investment, particularly in the area of endometriosis.
The President was due to arrive at the Tyler Perry studios in Atlanta at the time of her tweet.
“Atlanta, Georgia is a dream city for every young girl and woman who has ever battled this horrific disease called Endometriosis. Therein lies a centre dedicated to restoring the lives of young girls and women who are crippled by this disease,” Njambi said.
Adding, “As you commence your State visit tomorrow to the US, I’d like to kindly add a few visits that would help the millions of Kenyan women battling in silence.
“It would be a game-changer for the Kenyan delegation to visit the Center For Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, Georgia. Send our gynaecologists, pulmonogists, neurologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiologists for further training or fellowships.”
Ms Koikai died while receiving treatment at the Nairobi Hospital for endometriosis.
