Baba Jimmy: American TikToker with Luhya accent

Over the past weeks, Isaiah Carrier, 24, popularly known as Baba Jimmy, has become a TikTok sensation after viral clips of the 'Mzungu man' fluently speaking Swahili hit the airwaves.

The Wajumbe Records founder, who lives in Matunda, Moisbridge in Kakamega County, has quickly become a household name. Many Kenyans, including celebrities, are doing challenges of his viral clips, which have garnered millions of views. He boasts more than 106,000 followers on TikTok and over 1.2 million likes.

Isaiah, alongside his wife Judith, has been trending on social media platforms, attracting numerous viewers. Not only is he fluent in Swahili, but his mastery of the language with a pinch of a Luhya accent has sealed his fame.

When The Nairobian team visited Isaiah at his rural home in Kakamega, they aimed to learn more about the couple whose content had captivated the internet. Isaiah leads an ordinary life and says he has been in Kenya since 2012, when he settled in Kiminini, Kitale with his parents and 11 siblings from Indiana, USA. His parents and siblings have since returned home.

“When we came to Kenya, we found an entirely different environment and culture. We settled in a small village lacking basic amenities like clean water and electricity. We did not have a car and often fell sick because of the dirty water. It was difficult, but with time, we got used to the environment, made friends, and began learning Swahili,” Isaiah recounted.

Witchcraft

He shared that their faith was tested in the village, where witchcraft was commonly practiced. “Some of our neighbors did not like our mission work and used witchcraft to scare us away. We got sick often, and even our pets got sick. One day, I found some concoction wrapped in a piece of cloth, which we knew had been intentionally dropped at our home by the witches,” he recounted. Isaiah took the wrapped mixture to his father, who offered prayers. After that, his sick family members were healed.

“You know many people claim that witchcraft does not exist, but I have witnessed it firsthand and know how powerful prayers and trust in God are,” he added.

Isaiah did not realize he spoke Swahili with a Luhya accent until he noticed comments from his TikTok fans. “Here in the village, my neighbors are not shocked when they hear me speak Kiswahili because I am just one of them,” he said.

Isaiah, who married Judith in 2017 when they were both 18, says he remained behind to continue the ministry work at their Kingdom Driven Ministry church and Wajumbe Training Bible School. He first met Judith, the love of his life, in 2014 through her brother, who was working as a translator for his father.

Isaiah, known for being straightforward, did not hesitate to tell his parents that he liked Judith and wanted to marry her. “I was about 15 years old then. I kept going to her home because I had started getting fond of her. When I finally settled on getting into a relationship, I told my parents, and they, in turn, told Judith’s parents that I liked her and wanted to marry their daughter,” said the preacher. Isaiah knew exactly what he wanted in a woman, and Judy proved just that. He did not care about his partner’s skin color or any other preference.

“She seemed like a genuine girl. She was humble and came from a Christian family. Both of us also waited until marriage before engaging in intercourse. We have had our own fair share of challenges, but we have become strong,” he stated.

He also wanted a ‘pure girl’ for marriage because he believed in holy matrimony. “We were both pure when we got into marriage. We had abstained and were waiting for marriage before we could consummate our marriage,” he said.

Mama Jimmy, as Judith is known, said she was surprised when her mother revealed Isaiah’s intentions to marry her. She had, however, felt that the Mzungu was interested in her. “He kept coming to my home even when my brother was not around. That is when it dawned on me that he could be interested in me. I, however, did not take him seriously until my mother broke the news to me that Isaiah wanted to marry me once I completed my education,” she recounted. She took her time and finally nodded to his advances.

“People laughed at me and thought I was foolish for marrying a white man. They kept saying our marriage was only a contract that would end. Some told me to be asking my husband for money to prove if indeed he loved me. But I did not listen to them because, to me, money does not matter when it comes to love,” she said. She expresses pride in the journey they have traveled and the beautiful children they are raising.

Although their Kingdom Driven Ministry church has attracted many congregants over the years, Isaiah says he does not accept offerings in his church. Neither does he encourage building a physical structure for worship. He says his church members hold fellowships at their homes, where they pray together and learn from the Bible.

Through his songs, like the recent one dubbed ‘Utavuna’, Isaiah does not shy away from expressing ills that churches embrace in soliciting money from the poor. “It should be these pastors (with big tummies) who drive fuel guzzlers helping the less fortunate and not relying on the vulnerable to sustain their lifestyle,” he added. Isaiah instead encourages his congregants to help needy neighbors rather than bringing offerings. “If you have more and wish to offer offerings voluntarily, then that is okay. What I detest is when churches are operated like businesses. Some even refuse to bury followers who failed to give offerings,” he stated.

Isaiah, who is yet to get Kenyan citizenship, said he plans to relocate his family to the US, where his family is in Kentucky. “I want the children to be homeschooled there. However, I applied for my family’s visa in 2021, but we are yet to get any response. Once in the USA, I will be coming back to Kenya once or twice a year to follow up with the ministry,” he said. The couple has two children, Jimmy, 5, and Cynthia, 3.