When Joy Nduttah Mungai uploads a video with her father, Joseph Mungai, she is not
trying to create a social media sensation.
Most of the time, she is simply capturing moments that have always been part of their
relationship—teaching her father a dance, sharing a joke, surprising him with a gift, or
recording the kind of playful interaction that has defined their bond since childhood.
Yet those ordinary moments have resonated with thousands of people online, turning
the father-daughter duo into one of the most recognizable family content creators on
Kenyan TikTok.
For Joy, the journey began almost by accident.
“What inspired us to start creating content was really just how natural and fun our bond
is,” she says. “I did our first video with my dad in May 2024 and it ended up going viral,
which really encouraged me and made me feel like people genuinely connected with our
dynamic.”
The unexpected success of that first video convinced her to keep going. She planned a
second video for Father’s Day, hoping to build on the momentum.
Instead, things took an unexpected turn.
“Unfortunately, we shot in a place where filming wasn’t allowed and we ended up
getting arrested,” she recalls. “That experience really scared me, so I stopped creating
content for about a year.”
The incident left her shaken and uncertain about whether she wanted to continue
sharing content online. It was not until March 2025 that she decided to give content
creation another chance.
Since then, she and her father have rebuilt their online presence, growing a community
of more than 63,000 followers on TikTok.
While Joy is usually the creative force behind the videos, she credits much of their
success to her father’s willingness to simply be himself.
“It’s mostly my page and I’m usually the one behind the ideas, but my dad brings so
much personality to the content,” she says. “It’s become something very authentic and
special for both of us.”
A Different Picture of Fatherhood
At a time when social media is saturated with trends, comedy skits and viral challenges,
the appeal of Joy and Joseph’s content lies in its simplicity.
Their videos focus on everyday interactions between a father and daughter—moments
that many viewers find both refreshing and unfamiliar.
“Our content is mainly father-daughter content that shows our real-life dynamic and the
kind of relationship we’ve always had since I was young,” Joy explains.
She says there is very little scripting involved.
“A typical content day for us isn’t usually anything staged. Most of the time it’s just me
asking my dad if we can shoot, teaching him a dance, or deciding to record a moment
that would normally happen in our day-to-day life.”
Even milestones and surprises become opportunities to create memories.
“When I want to surprise him with a gift, sometimes instead of just doing it privately,
we’ll film his reaction and turn it into content,” she says. “In many ways, our content is
really just our normal interactions and memories, but captured on camera and shared
with people.”
The response has been overwhelming.
Many followers are less interested in the dances or trends than they are in the
relationship itself.
“People are often surprised by how free and close my dad and I are,” Joy says. “I get
comments like, ‘How do I convince my dad to be like this?’ or ‘How are you so
comfortable with your dad?’”
Those reactions have convinced her that the content speaks to something much deeper
than entertainment.
“For me, fatherhood is not just about being physically present or providing financially,
even though those things matter,” she says. “It’s also about being emotionally present,
being involved in your children’s lives, creating a safe space for them, being affectionate,
being free with them, laughing with them, and making them feel seen and loved.”
Challenging Stereotypes
In many African societies, fathers have traditionally been portrayed as authority figures
whose primary role is discipline and provision.
Joy hopes their content challenges that perception.
“I hope our platform helps challenge the idea that African fathers have to be distant,
overly strict or emotionally unavailable,” she says. “That stereotype should end.”
Instead, she wants people to see a different version of fatherhood.
“African fathers can be warm, playful, expressive and involved in their children’s lives,”
she says. “If our content can encourage even a few fathers to be more present, more
open and more intentional with their children, then that means a lot to me.”
The message has resonated particularly strongly among followers who grew up without
close relationships with their fathers.
Many comments come from people expressing admiration, curiosity or even grief over
relationships they never experienced.
For Joy, those responses reinforce the value of sharing their story.
Navigating Criticism
But visibility on social media comes with challenges.
Because their content centres on a close and affectionate father-daughter relationship,
Joy says they have sometimes faced criticism and misunderstanding.
“There are people who misunderstand it, call it inappropriate, or even try to sexualize
something that is completely innocent,” she says.
In the beginning, the negativity was difficult to handle.
“I would go on X and find my videos trending there and see people saying all kinds of
things,” she recalls. “Sometimes even blogs would pick it up, which was honestly very
overwhelming.”
Over time, she has learned to develop a thicker skin.
“Now, I mostly choose to ignore it and not engage because I know not every opinion
deserves a response,” she says.
What keeps her motivated is the support from followers who understand their
intentions.
“There are always people who understand the heart behind our content and are willing
to stand up for us and defend what we do,” she says.
Strengthening a Family Bond
Ironically, while the videos have brought them public attention, Joy says the greatest
impact has been private.
“One of the best things about creating content with my dad is that it has genuinely
brought us even closer,” she says.
The process has given them opportunities to spend more intentional time together and
have conversations they may not otherwise have had.
“Some of my favourite moments are when we do podcasts or sit down for longer
conversations because that’s when I get to learn more about him beyond just being dad,”
she says.
“I get to hear his opinions, his life experiences, the way he thinks, and sometimes even
stories I had never heard before.”
For Joy, those conversations have become more valuable than any viral video.
“It’s made me appreciate him in a deeper way,” she says.
Her appreciation for family is rooted in her own upbringing.
She describes growing up in a loving home with both parents and a younger brother. In
2016, however, the family experienced tragedy when her brother died after battling
cancer.
“Sadly, he passed away in 2016, and that was one of the most difficult experiences for
our family,” she says.
The loss strengthened her appreciation for family connections and the importance of
cherishing loved ones.
Looking Ahead
Beyond social media, Joy wears several hats. She is a makeup artist, a permanent
makeup (PMU) artist and a Montessori teacher.
She hopes to continue growing both her beauty business and her work in education,
with dreams of eventually owning a school.
At the same time, she sees enormous potential for the content she creates with her
father.
“I’d love for it to grow beyond short-form videos into something even more meaningful
and impactful,” she says.
She hopes to expand into YouTube and podcasting, platforms that would allow for
deeper conversations about family, relationships and parenting.
Ultimately, she envisions building more than a social media page.
“I see the content evolving into a bigger family and lifestyle brand,” she says.
“Something that not only entertains people but also sparks conversations around
fatherhood, family, healing, relationships and the importance of emotionally present
parenting.”
