Thousands of Kenyan TikTok users converged on Othaya Town in Nyeri County on Sunday in a remarkable show of solidarity for a fellow creator whose story of caring for his ailing father has touched the nation.
Kaluma Boy, who has amassed more than 259,000 followers on the video platform, went viral after sharing his daily routine of nursing his father, who suffered a stroke in August 2024 and spent three months in a coma. Since then, his family has been grappling with the financial and emotional toll of long-term care.
Supporters arrived in Othaya in convoys of hired matatus and bodabodas before proceeding to his rural home in Chinga for what was billed as a healing and restoration event.
The gathering followed weeks of online fundraising, during which Kenyans contributed generously through a paybill number to help cover treatment costs, including catheter changes and physiotherapy sessions that Kaluma said cost up to 1,000 shillings per day.
Images shared online captured the extraordinary scale of the turnout, with residents describing it as one of the largest social media-inspired gatherings in the region. “It feels like a family, not just followers,” said one supporter.
“We came to stand with him because his story is our story.”
Kaluma has built a devoted community around his father, affectionately referred to by his fans simply as “dad.” Many of his livestreams feature light-hearted moments between the two, which contrast with the underlying challenges of managing chronic illness at home.
