Five years passed before content creator Abel Kiptoo began earning from his online work, teaching him that building a career in the digital space requires patience, authenticity, resilience and genuine passion.
Kiptoo, who studied Communication and Public Relations at Moi University, started creating content in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. He was monetised in 2025, a journey he says would have been difficult to sustain had money been his primary motivation.
Apart from content creation, which we know you for, who is Abel Kiptoo?
I am a believer. I am a dog dad, a brother, I love music and I generally love life. That’s me in a nutshell.
Where and what did you study at university?
I studied at Moi University’s Main Campus in Eldoret, where I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Public Relations.
How I ended up in Communication and PR is a whole crazy story. I was initially supposed to study Business, but I changed the course and decided to do something for myself.
What were your favourite and worst units on campus?
I wanted to be a lawyer so badly, but I wasn’t able to become one. So, Communication and Law, which we studied in third year, was one of my favourite units.
For my worst unit, I’m torn between two. One was Sign Language, where I got my worst grade ever, a C. The other was Public Speaking. I love public speaking, but I didn’t like the unit because of the lecturer. He made me feel bad about public speaking.
Who was your best and worst lecturer?
The worst lecturer taught us Public Speaking. I wouldn’t want to mention his name.
Are you currently doing what you studied at university?
Yes, for the most part. I studied Communication and I’m now a Communications Associate.
How was campus life generally?
At first, I didn’t like campus because I was at a university I hadn’t wanted to attend, studying a course I hadn’t initially chosen. But after switching to Communication and making friends, campus life became enjoyable.
It became my escape from family life and a space where I could discover myself, learn how to interact with people and grow.
How did you make money or hustle while on campus?
My parents and siblings were very supportive, but I also picked up a small hustle, not really out of need but more out of curiosity. I thought, “Let me try this and see how far it might go.”
I used to sell popcorn because my friends and I organised music concerts with the band, where we sold popcorn. I also sang in the school choir, which gave us allowances whenever we travelled.
How was your dating life during campus?
It was non-existent. I was one of those people who went to university to study.
I sometimes joke with my friends that I’ll never experience young love, that crazy campus romance.
What do you think of campus relationships?
I don’t know whether niko na maoni, but I think it’s somewhere in between. You can’t really tell because there are beautiful stories.
I recently attended a ceremony for two of my campus friends who met while we were at university. I feel campus relationships can either be good or bad. It depends on how intentional both people are.
If you are both mature and know what you want, it can be good for you.
Where did you hang out on weekends during your time on campus?
Because our campus was out in the bundus, we mostly hung out around the university. We would go to the dam, cook at a friend’s house or simply go home.
I loved going home.
What did you do with your free time?
Before Covid-19, I spent much of my free time singing in the choir.
During and after Covid-19, I focused more on creating content for my YouTube channel, while also taking part in social clubs and activities or simply relaxing.
Which classmates will you never forget?
I have two who are very close to my heart. I don’t know if I should mention their names, but yes, I will never forget them.
Tell us how you got into content creation and how the journey has been.
I discovered my love for content creation in 2018, immediately after high school, while consuming a lot of YouTube content at home.
In 2020, during Covid-19, I decided to become a content creator. I downloaded TikTok and started making YouTube videos. At the time, most creators were focused on YouTube, so I started my own channel.
Since then, I have grown from finding my footing and building an audience to monetising my niche, monetising my content and now working towards scaling up.
What tips would you give someone looking to build a sustainable brand that companies want to work with?
Wow, I think I’m still learning about creating a sustainable brand.
First of all, I like to keep my page very brand-safe. Brands don’t necessarily like you to be very controversial on social media. I also feel that brands want to be associated with pages that feel safe and warm.
What mistakes do you see young people making when venturing into social media and content creation?
Number one is doing it for the money. When you do it for the money, the money doesn’t come at the beginning.
I started in 2020 and only got monetised in 2025. That’s five years. If I had been doing it for the money, I would have quit a long time ago. Do it because you love creating. Another thing is trying to copy or mimic someone else. If you start as authentically as possible, you will literally fly.
What would you like to see implemented or removed in the online space?
In 2024, if I’m not wrong, I was a victim of cyberbullying. At the time, I literally felt unsafe. I even had to quit social media for about two months.
Nowadays, I still get bullied, but I have developed thick skin. I wish social platforms had better ways of regulating these spaces to make them safer.
How do we protect creatives who entertain and add value to online communities?
We need safer platforms for creators, as well as stronger media literacy and fact-checking to tackle misinformation.
What is the one thing you would tell your campus self?
Dream, and dream bigger. Never let that light inside you be dimmed. Also, don’t worry. Life gets better with time. The money will come. Use whatever you have and make the most of it. And I’m proud of you.
Any final word of encouragement, caution or advice?
I am a huge believer in living life and living it abundantly. So please, refuse to be small.
Refuse to be small in whatever you are doing or whichever area you are in. If you are doing something, do it fully. Give it your 100 per cent. It sounds very cliché, but just refuse to be small. Refuse to be limited. The world is your oyster.
So again, I’m going to say: think big and refuse to be small. Refuse to be limited. Refuse to be confined by anything