Pastor Jimmy Irungu explains why he chose to sleep in a coffin during 80-hour challenge
By Steve Ireri, April 7, 2026Pastor Jimmy Irungu has opened up about the motivation behind his controversial decision to sleep in a coffin during his recent endurance challenge, stating that the move was meant to highlight the harsh realities faced by cancer patients.
Speaking after completing the challenge on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the pastor explained that he intended to demonstrate the suffering cancer patients endure while bedridden in hospitals, as well as the painful journey many families go through while seeking treatment.
“I am speaking now because the challenge I have been undertaking was meant to demonstrate how cancer patients suffer while lying in hospital beds. The challenge is now over, but as I was doing it,” he said.
He noted that beyond the hospital experience, he also wanted to depict the tragic reality that, in many cases, the illness ultimately leads to death.
“I also found it important to show how the end of most of these patients usually looks—being in a coffin,” he added.
Irungu revealed that his decision to get into a coffin was symbolic, aimed at showing what he described as the common end for many people diagnosed with cancer.
According to him, the demonstration was meant to create a deeper emotional understanding of the disease and its devastating impact on individuals and their families.
“I wanted to show that when a person is diagnosed with cancer, they go to hospital and eventually get buried. This often comes after a very difficult period where the person has spent all their wealth, and even their family’s wealth, seeking treatment. And after all that, they still end up losing their lives,” Jimmy said.
He further pointed out that cancer patients often endure a difficult and costly journey, with many families spending all their resources in search of treatment, only to lose their loved ones in the end. The pastor said his challenge sought to reflect this painful cycle and emphasise the urgent need for awareness.
“What I wanted was simply to demonstrate how serious and devastating cancer is. I got into the coffin to show people that this is often the final outcome for many who are diagnosed with the disease,” he added.
Irungu also disclosed that he personally financed the entire initiative, including the cost of acquiring the coffin, setting up the hospital bed, and arranging the tent where he carried out the challenge. He maintained that he did not seek external support, stressing that his primary goal was to ensure that as many people as possible understand the seriousness of the disease.
Despite the physical and financial demands of the challenge, the preacher affirmed his commitment to continue raising awareness about cancer, insisting that he will not stop advocating against the disease regardless of the circumstances.
“I have incurred all these costs because buying a coffin is expensive, and bringing the hospital bed and the tent I slept in is also costly. I did not ask anyone for help to do all this. I did it because I want to create awareness so that many people can benefit. And no matter what happens, I will never stop telling people that cancer is dangerous, and I will never stop creating awareness,” he said.
Elusive challenge
The series of endurance challenges form part of his broader campaign to draw public attention to the growing burden of cancer and the struggles faced by patients and their families.