This archive report was first published on 2 September 2019.
Collins Kiprono, a 24-year-old census enumerator, has captured the hearts of many with his kind gestures while on duty. In a video that went viral, he was seen jumping up and down with children who were excited to see him in his orange reflector jacket.
Speaking to Citizen Digital on Monday, Kiprono opened up about the financial difficulties that have prevented him from completing his undergraduate studies. He is a former student at Egerton University, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Science Geography studies last year, but has since been unable to graduate due to a Ksh.60,000 fee balance.
He also revealed that he opted to sign up for the census job to support his sick mother, who has been in and out of hospital for the past three months due to hypertension and heart complications. Kiprono has been doing multiple jobs on the side to support his mother's medication.
"I was actually in hospital with my mother when I heard that a video of me jumping up and down with kids went viral," said Kiprono.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) had posted a tweet asking for information about him in order to "celebrate" him. Kiprono confirmed that the government agency has since contacted him through the census supervisor of the area he was dispatched to and his details forwarded to the main office in Nairobi.
