Seventeen-year-old TikTok sensation Kaluma Boy, who moved Kenyans with his videos showing life caring for his ailing father, has been awarded a fully paid university scholarship at the East African University.
The announcement was made during a heavily attended Thanksgiving Service at Jesus Compassion Ministries (JCM) headquarters, where hundreds of congregants turned up to celebrate his journey.
During the event, Bishop Ben announced that the 17-year-old had secured a full scholarship.
“I want to announce that Kaluma Boy will be joining the university. Dr Christopher Mutembei is the Vice Chancellor of the East African University, and this morning, he has confirmed that Kaluma Boy has been granted a full scholarship in the East African University, and he will undertake a course in Sales Marketing to enhance his skills in digital marketing,” Bishop Ben said.
The announcement was met with cheers and applause from the crowd, marking a major milestone in Kaluma’s growing story.
In videos shared online, Kaluma Boy was seen walking into the church all smiles, surrounded by several handlers in political fashion as congregants cheered him on.
Separate photos taken during the service showed the church packed to capacity as worshippers gathered for the special service.
The Thanksgiving Service followed a major show of public support a few days earlier, when Kenyans gathered at Kaluma’s home in Othaya in a remarkable act of unity.
Hundreds travelled from different parts of the country after his TikTok videos went viral.
The short clips showed him balancing farm work and caregiving, offering a raw look into his daily life.
“I joined TikTok in February, posting funny clips like any other teenager. People knew me as the cheerful one. But one day, I chose to show my real life — me taking care of my father after his stroke,” he recalled in a past interview.
The videos quickly attracted national attention, drawing messages of encouragement and support from strangers across Kenya.
On Sunday, September 28, thousands of TikTokers, fans and well-wishers visited his family home in Othaya to show their solidarity.
The crowd arrived in large numbers, with motorcycles and matatus parked around the homestead.
Donations poured in, including bags of food, bales of flour, furniture, cement, and cash, with reports indicating that more than KSh 3 million was raised that day.
Doctors who attended the event offered to treat his father, while several companies presented Kaluma with brand ambassadorial deals.
Unlike the usual well-attended gatherings in the current political climate, the event remained largely apolitical, with organisers declining to allow local politicians to address the crowd.
Key pledges from well-wishers included building a new house for the family and supporting the father’s continued medical treatment and physiotherapy.