Meet Kelvin Ikwara, 29, latest Tik Tok sensation in the country

Kelvin Ikwara, 29, is the latest Tik Tok sensation in the country, particularly because of his hilarious dance moves. He talks to Sandra Wekesa about his newfound talent and fame.

What can you say about your newfound talent?

It has been amazing! I never knew I would ever get here, but I am happy that I have been able to entertain people with my content during these hard times. 

I never knew that this great opportunity and recognition would come when I am 29 years old, but am glad that this is the right time to do this.

At first, I was just dancing then I realised people had started sharing my videos and commenting on my posts, and that is when I knew that I was on the right track. 

Tell us about  the inspiration behind this?

I have always been a good dancer even before TikTok, but when I saw the TikTok queen Azziad Nasenya entertain people with her dance moves, I got the idea of doing it myself. So, she was quite an inspiration.

How was the experience at first?

It was hard. I remember I used to dance to gospel, ohangla, and other local genres, but they weren’t gaining popularity.

But when I decided to be open-minded about the songs I would play I got so many followers.

I just found out that The Shade Room is a big platform for my talent growth. But all in all, I am grateful for all those platforms that have taken the opportunity to support me in gaining recognition. 

What is keeping you going?

The fact that I make people laugh keeps me going. I majorly do this for entertainment, but if I get an opportunity to put food on the table out of this I will be really happy.

Generally, I am a happy person. But I am driven by the fact that consistency is key to success. 

Do you have one memorable video that’s etched in your mind?

Yes, there is. Love by Kendrick Lamar ft Zacari went viral more than any other.

I hold so many memories of this song because it is my sister’s favourite, and when I decided to do the video, I had listened to the song several times to know just how to dance to it.    

How prepared are you for fame?

I am currently prepared for anything, but one thing that will never change is my passion for comedy and entertaining people.

Also, my manager helps me a lot. He guides me on what I need to do and also walks with me on this path from day-to-day.

Your full-time job is in the security sector. How are you able to balance your busy schedule, family, and creating content? 

I have to be at work by 6am, so I always make sure I get there on time then work the whole day and if I get time over my lunch hour, I create several videos and save them.

But on busy days, I always make sure I create videos in the evening after my day’s regular schedule.

Other than this, I make sure I spend so much time with my family during my free time, and this also gives me time to select songs that I would be playing.  

What has changed since you became famous?

So many people now know me and want to take pictures with me or talk to me.

I can’t complain about this because it means I am serving the purpose as an entertainer. I am thrilled.

Are there challenges you’ve encountered while creating content?

Yes, one of the challenges I have faced ever since I started creating content in mid-2020 is time.

With the type of work I do, I might not have enough time to create a video, so I ensure that on my free day I create as much as I could and release them one by one. 

Also, the fact that I have to have spare  bundles once in a while becomes challenging because of the airtime I have to buy on a daily basis.

However, I never take the comments that people have about me negatively because they build and motivate me to improve.