Seventeen-year-old TikToker Vincent Kaluma, popularly known as Kaluma Boy, whose touching videos of caring for his ailing father moved millions of Kenyans, has earned a full scholarship to the East African University.
The announcement was made by Bishop Ben Kamau during a Thanksgiving Service at JCM Church in Ruiru on Sunday.
Bishop Kamau revealed that Kaluma will pursue a course in Sales and Marketing with a focus on digital marketing.
“Dr. Christopher Mutembei, the Vice Chancellor of the East African University, has confirmed that Kaluma Boy has been granted a full scholarship to study Sales and Marketing and sharpen his skills in digital marketing,” said Kamau
According to Kamau, the church sought the scholarship on Kaluma’s behalf, but he clarified that it had not handled any of the donations raised for the family online.
The Thanksgiving service came just a week after thousands of Kenyans visited Kaluma’s home in Othaya, Nyeri, to support his ailing father.
The visit followed weeks of online planning through TikTok Lives and comment sections after Kaluma’s emotional posts about his father’s illness went viral.
Through short, unfiltered clips, Kaluma Boy documented his father’s long recovery journey, the therapy sessions under the sun, the struggle to speak after a stroke, and the quiet, exhausting days of caregiving. His posts, often set to soulful music, reflected not just hardship, but strength, love, and hope.
Kaluma’s story took a heartbreaking turn in August 2024 when his father suffered a severe stroke that left him in a coma for three months. After his discharge in December, their modest home turned into a makeshift hospital, with Kaluma juggling school and tea-picking jobs to cover medical expenses.
Despite the hardship, he never gave up. His videos, filled with honesty and resilience, touched millions.