Jimmy Irungu opens up on impact of Ngaruiya Junior’s singing during his tree-hugging challenge

Pastor Jimmy Irungu has opened up on the effect of Kigooco singer Ngaruiya Junior performing next to him during his elusive 80-hour tree-hugging challenge, revealing that the artiste’s singing uplifted his spirits.

Speaking during an interview with a local Kikuyu YouTuber on Saturday, January 10, 2026, Pastor Jimmy shared that he did not initially realise Ngaruiya Junior had arrived at the location and that he was simply continuing to hug the tree when he noticed the singer performing beside him.

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“And let me say, to be honest, I did not know that Ngaruiya had arrived at the place where I was hugging the tree. I was just continuing to hug it when I turned and noticed that the person who had actually been singing was Ngaruiya Junior,” Pastor Jimmy said.

The preacher revealed that he recognised Ngaruiya Junior when he saw him moving his hands back and forth and coming closer while singing, adding that he could not have resisted the urge to sing along.

The ex-JCM pastor also explained that the presence of Ngaruiya Junior gave him renewed morale, as he was determined to complete the demanding challenge.

“I knew it was him because he started moving his hands back and forth and came closer to me while singing. When I turned, I saw that it was him singing fervently, and I joined in and we sang together,” he said.

He added that, being both a preacher and a singer, he felt compelled to participate in the praise alongside the artiste.

“While he was there, I was really trying to give myself strength because I wanted to complete the challenge, but also, because I am a pastor, I am naturally drawn to occasions and scenarios where God is being praised, and as a preacher and singer myself, I had the morale to sing and could not have turned down Ngaruiya’s singing,” Jimmy said.

Pastor Jimmy noted that singing together provided him with spiritual and emotional strength, but he eventually reached a point where his physical endurance could not sustain the full 80 hours, leading to his collapse during the 79th hour of the challenge.

“We sang a lot, but I do not know what exactly happened; at some point, my physical strength ended, and I collapsed,” he said.