Not often in life do you get the opportunity to get loaded with bags filled with cash, and walk away from the deal.
This almost imaginary story resonates deeply with the life of Kenyan disc jockey Karumba Ngatia, alias Krowbar.
The renowned gospel DJ politely turned down a job contract that would have made him Sh. 4 million richer, leaving all representatives in awe. But why do this, in a world where financial gain tempts even the rich?
In an episode of Cate Rira’s POV Podcast, DJ Krowbar shared his remarkable story of integrity and principle. He explained the reason why he turned down a contract worth Sh. 4 million.
He said that he had been approached to become a brand ambassador for a certain big company. He agreed to the job offer and was ready for the first meeting to set the numbers.
“I was called to be a brand ambassador for this big company, the room had about ten people. It was a 2-3 year deal. After our valuation, we agreed on Sh. 4 million,” Krowbar recalled.
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Later, he received a call from two people involved in the meeting. They requested him to increase the valuation to Sh. 7 million, so that they could get Sh. 3 million kickback.
“Then a few weeks later two of the guys from the meeting called me for lunch to clear legal stuff but now they wanted me to up the rate to Sh. 7 million so that when the money was released I would give them three,” he stated.
Krowbar rejected the deal without any hesitation. He also let go of the contract wholly.
“I thanked them for honouring me with the opportunity but I told them I was not going to steal from a company.”
Staying true to his virtues, Krowbar maintained that engaging in such an affair would not only taint the company’s image but also his reputation as a whole.
For him, he wanted to ensure that he could provide a genuine explanation to his kids when they questioned the origin of their family’s possessions.
“I said no because what if my kid one day asks me how I achieved something…if they knew how I made the money, they would end up looking at me differently,” DJ Krowbar maintained.
