Elation in Nyeri as Truphena Muthoni Nears 72-Hour Tree-Hugging World Record

Kenya, 11 December 2025 - Nyeri town erupted into a festival of colour, excitement and disbelief as thousands of Kenyans waved flags, chanted her name and pressed against the perimeter fence—just to catch a glimpse of 22-year-old Truphena Muthoni inching closer to a daring world record: hugging a tree for 72 uninterrupted hours.

With smartphones held high to document history in real time, the crowd surged outside Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga’s office compound, where Muthoni began the extraordinary challenge on Monday at exactly 12:25pm.

Inside, she stood unwavering—clasping the trunk of a towering indigenous tree with the calmness and resolve of someone who had prepared not just her body, but her spirit.

Muthoni, from Ihwagi in Mathira Constituency, is already recognized globally as the Guinness World Record holder for hugging a tree continuously for 48 hours. This week, she returned to push her limits even further—and in the process, elevate Kenya onto the global environmental stage.

Through pounding rain, biting cold nights and a scorching daytime sun, Muthoni remained unbowed. Supporters gasped whenever the clouds opened up, but she pressed on, smiling at the cheering crowds and acknowledging the leaders who streamed in to encourage her.

As the marathon approached its climax, Governor Kahiga was joined by Gender and Affirmative Action Principal Secretary Anne Wang’ombe, as well as a host of local leaders, environmental enthusiasts and curious onlookers from across the country. The fence surrounding the compound became a patchwork of faces—hundreds deep—each person determined not to miss the moment Kenya made history.