Veteran radio presenter and football commentator Diablo Kaberia is dead.
The death of the celebrated sports broadcaster, popularly known to fans as “El Mago”, has shocked Kenya’s radio industry and football lovers who grew up listening to his energetic football commentary on Radio Jambo.
Diablo was among the pioneering voices that helped build Radio Jambo into one of the country’s biggest Swahili stations, especially through football coverage that made him a household name among sports fans.
Known for his humor, sharp football analysis and unmatched passion for the game, Diablo became one of the most recognizable football commentators on Kenyan radio during the rise of private FM stations.
Many fans particularly associated him with Spanish football and his open love for Barcelona, something that became part of his identity on air.
Over the years, he worked alongside famous football commentators including Fred Arocho and Daddy P, helping shape football radio culture in Kenya long before social media football spaces became dominant.
Radio Jambo listeners especially remember Diablo for turning football commentary into entertainment, with his dramatic match descriptions and signature style making even ordinary matches sound exciting.
At one point, his disappearance from radio sparked concern among listeners before Radio Jambo later announced his return in a comeback that excited fans across the country.
His death now marks the end of an era for a generation of listeners who followed European football through radio commentary every weekend.
By Sunday afternoon, tributes from fans, journalists and fellow broadcasters had started pouring in on social media, with many describing him as one of the voices that defined football radio in Kenya.
Details surrounding his death were still emerging.