When thousands of young Kenyans turned up in Othaya this week to support a struggling content creator, even veteran politicians were left in awe.
Kaluma Boy, a TikTok creator known for sharing his family’s hardships, has been caring for his father since he suffered a stroke in August last year. He has worked on tea farms to cover medical bills, often filming his struggles for followers online.
On Sunday, the digital world crossed into real life. Busloads of supporters travelled to Nyeri County to raise money for his father’s treatment. Videos from the fundraiser quickly went viral, with Kenyans praising the sense of unity.
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria called the show of solidarity a wake-up call for older leaders.
“To my fellow Octogenarians,” he said, “we have been preparing for an exam in Biology using a Literature Text Book. Young people of this country have moved on without us. We are like that spare wheel at the back of a Land Rover. Smell the coffee wazee wenzangu. We lost our deposit.”
Kaluma Boy told supporters that his father’s illness has drained the family’s finances.
“After he got sick, he went in a coma for three months and came from hospital in December. Since then, it is like he is in a ward at home,” he explained. “The medications are expensive. If we could get help for physiotherapy, he would recover faster.”
Politicians also weighed in. Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah praised the crowds for stepping in where the state had not.
“Big up to Kenyans who pulled up for Kaluma in Nyeri. That’s real community vibes and true Kenyans for Kenyans. But shame on the government and the Social Health Authority for abandoning families,” he said.
The outpouring has highlighted the growing power of Kenya’s young generation. Through TikTok, Instagram and other platforms, they are shaping social life and challenging the traditional political order—one fundraiser, one story, and one act of solidarity at a time.
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