What Joshua Kigen Did After His Mashujaa Day Photo Of A KDF Soldier Touched Kenyans

Photographer Joshua Kigen has touched Kenyans after tracking down a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier whose photograph he took during the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret.

Kigen travelled to Eldoret on Tuesday, October 20, to cover the national event. While reviewing his photographs afterwards, one image caught his attention: a portrait of a soldier in uniform that he felt deserved special recognition.

“During the celebrations, my lens caught a striking image of a man in uniform. As I looked through the photographs afterwards, I felt this one deserved a place on his wall,” Kigen shared.

He posted the photograph on Facebook and asked Kenyans to help identify the serviceman, whom he believed had served as a parade commander during the celebrations.

Kigen also made a promise: once the soldier was identified, he would receive a free, wall-mounted A2 portrait in appreciation of his service and presence at the event.

His search eventually paid off. Kigen later shared a photograph of himself presenting the framed portrait to the soldier. He said the soldier’s smile as he received the gift became his favourite part of the experience.

“As photographers, we rarely know what an image will mean to the person in it. I hope this one becomes something he looks back on with pride, long after the day’s celebrations have faded,” he wrote.

The gesture highlighted how a photograph can become more than a record of a public event. For the soldier, the framed portrait offers a lasting reminder of a national celebration in which he played a role.

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