- Photographer Joshua Kigen tracked down a KDF soldier he captured during Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret
- Kigen gifted the soldier a free, framed A2 portrait after asking Kenyans to help identify him
- The soldier’s smile reminded Kigen how a photograph can become a lasting memory and create human connections
A photographer has touched hearts online after sharing how he tracked down a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier he photographed during the 63rd Mashujaa Day celebrations in Eldoret.
Source: Facebook
Joshua Kigen travelled to Eldoret on Tuesday, October 20, to capture the national celebrations, but one photograph stood out to him long after the event.
In a Facebook post, Kigen explained that his camera captured the soldier during the celebrations, and when he reviewed the images later, he felt the photograph deserved a special place beyond his collection.
He decided to find the soldier and turn the picture into a portrait he could keep as a personal reminder of the occasion.
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"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.
The photographer subsequently posted the soldier's picture on Facebook, asking Kenyans to help him identify the serviceman, whom he believed had served as a parade commander during the Mashujaa Day event.
Kigen promised to give the soldier a free, wall-mounted A2 portrait as a way of appreciating the passion he displayed during the celebrations.
His search eventually paid off, with the photographer sharing a photograph of himself presenting the soldier with the framed portrait.
Kigen said the soldier's smile when 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 an event, serving instead as a lasting personal memory.
For the soldier, the portrait offers a keepsake from a national celebration in which he played a part, while for Kigen, the experience became a reminder of the human connections that photography can create.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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