• The TV star's father had a close shave in 1998 but lived on for another 20+ years
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TV personality Joyce Omondi has recounted how her father being a victim of the 1998 bomb blast almost made her miss her chance to study abroad.
Speaking to Mambo Mseto, Joyce shared her childhood life, explaining that she grew up as a regular child.
Joyce with her other siblings was born and brought up in Nairobi by strict parents. She said she never wanted to do music but enjoyed acting and doing home science.
"I have two brothers and I enjoyed basketball. I was a regular kid," she said.
"My mum is Giriama and dad is Luo. I had curfew and she protected me. Just being raised well helped me, and that made me who I am today.
"My brothers would always get me into trouble. I had a toy piano and later my dad bought a piano at home and I started learning. By the time I was six, I would play piano so well."
Joyce said after high school, she got a chance to study economics in the UK, but she almost missed the chance since she was afraid her dad would die after the bomb blast.
"He was in the hospital for very many years," she recounted.
"By the time I was going to the university abroad, I had a mixed mind. I thought he would be dead when I'm coming back."
Luckily, he survived, and when she came back, his healing inspired her first song, 'Conqueror'.
Joyce Omondi's dad died in June last year.
She spoke about her song 'Jibu', which was inspired by his hospitalisation.
The singer said at the time, she had wanted God to give her an answer regarding her dad's health.
"When I did my song, 'Naamini', my dad did not live for six months. By the time I released 'Jibu', I was questioning God as to why he allowed it (dad's death) to happen," she said.
"I was very bitter and very upset. I had written the song while he was in the hospital, but I released it after his death."