Kaluma Boy’s mother hails Kenyans, power of a phone

A day after Kenyans flocked to the home of content creator Vincent Kaluma, popularly known as Kaluma Boy, to support his ailing father, his mother, Beatrice Wangechi, has spoken out with gratitude and reflection.

An emotional Wangechi, who spoke during an interview, thanked Kenyans for standing with her family.

She admitted that she had come to appreciate both the importance of talent and the power of mobile phones in ways she had never imagined.

“I am thanking Kenyans because I saw wonders I have never seen before. You wonder if it is miracles...you even wonder what to say,” she said.

Wangechi stated that until recently, she only thought of a phone as a tool for making and receiving calls.

But watching her son use his phone to record TikTok videos, and seeing how that eventually drew national attention and support, changed her perspective.

“This time, I knew the importance of a phone. I didn’t know before. I used to think a phone was only for calling and receiving calls. I thank my child because even though I used to scold him for spending so much time on his phone, he stayed focused,” she recalled.

“He was not a child who answered back; he would just keep quiet and continue with his work.”

She added that when she urged her son to seek conventional employment like others, he would insist that his “job was on the phone,” a statement she never took seriously.

“Now I have seen God’s wonders. I don’t even have the right words. It is only gratitude I can return to Kenyans,” she said.

Kaluma Boy, who has been documenting his efforts to care for his father following a stroke in August 2024, moved Kenyans to compassion when he shared videos of his family’s struggles.

On Sunday, hundreds turned up at his home for a fundraiser, arriving in buses and with donations ranging from foodstuffs to money for medical bills.

The content creator, who also works on a local tea farm to cover expenses, expressed his own gratitude to Kenyans after the fundraiser.

“I thank Kenyans for supporting me. May God bless you. On behalf of my family, we are grateful,” he said, noting that he never expected such a massive turnout.

He added that the support would go a long way in securing treatment for his father, who has been bedridden for months and in need of physiotherapy.

The outpouring of support has since been hailed on social media as a symbol of Kenyan solidarity and proof of the positive power of online platforms when used to connect people in need with those willing to help.