Kenyan musician and reality TV star Kelvin Bahati has kicked off a grand celebration of his eighth wedding anniversary with wife Diana Marua in spectacular fashion.

As part of his vow to surprise the YouTuber with eight extravagant gifts, the singer gifted his father-in-law a brand-new Toyota Axio valued at approximately Ksh1.9 million in what he described as one of the most meaningful surprises in the series.

The emotional moment was captured in a video uploaded to Diana Marua’s YouTube channel on Monday, February 17, 2025, showing the couple sharing a luxurious dinner with family at an upscale hotel.

This is when Bahati, who had earlier on given Diana Ksh8 million as a teaser gift, explained that the second surprise was a symbol of his love for family, adding that it might be the biggest of them all.

Emotional confession

The ‘Mama’ hitmaker then revealed that the extra seat they were seeing on the table, empty, belonged to Diana’s father, whom he wanted to be part of the lunch.

However, he disclosed that earlier in the day, he had personally called him to invite him out, but he declined.

Bahati noted that he had made the effort because he genuinely wanted to honour him, but despite his persistence, the response was dismissive.

“I invited him for lunch because I wanted to surprise him, but he turned me down. I told him it was important to me, but he said he wouldn’t come. Even after insisting, he just wasn’t interested,” Bahati recalled.

The singer admitted that the rejection hit him hard, considering that over the years, he had tried to build a good relationship with his father-in-law, despite their strained history.

He stated that Diana had, on multiple occasions, opened up about the challenges she faced growing up with her father, and he understood why their relationship remained distant.

“I have tried so much to love him because, at the end of the day, he is the only father I have left. But every time I reach out, it’s like I’m forcing things. Even today, I really wanted him to be here because this gift was from my heart, but he didn’t show up,” he expressed, struggling to hold back tears.

The rejection, Bahati admitted, left him heartbroken, and he found himself confiding in their close friend Mitchell, just to process his emotions.

“I was so hurt that at some point, I told myself that the only other father I have is in the grave, and nothing can change that. I won’t lie—it really got to me,” he said, his voice breaking.

Diana’s father reaction

Despite the setback, Bahati made it clear that he was not going to let the moment pass without fulfilling his plan.

“From that call, I told myself that he is still my father, and because I know whatever gift I have for him comes from my heart, I will still follow up and go surprise him wherever he is,” he added

True to his word, Bahati later tracked down Diana’s father and personally delivered the sleek Toyota Axio to him.

The father-in-law, though initially reserved, accepted the gift with a quiet nod of appreciation.

In a touching moment, he sat inside the car to feel its interior, running his hands across the dashboard, and while smiling softly, he acknowledged Bahati’s generosity, saying, “I don’t know how to drive, but I will learn.”