Truphena Muthoni confirms plans to change her name
By Charles Ouma, January 20, 2026Environmental activist Truphena Muthoni has hinted at changing her name.
The 22-year-old unveiled her new name on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, during an interview with media personality Oga Obinna.
Blending creativity with authenticity while still aligning the new name with her passion for environmental conservation, which has made her a household name, the renowned activist settled on Treephena Muthoni as her new name.
“So I have just hosted Treephena Muthoni; she is officially changing her name yes, to Treephena, yes. She now identifies as Treephena,” Obinna stated in a video posted on his Facebook page with the activist responding in the affirmative and nodding in agreement.
The new name reflects her passion for environmental conservation with the word “tree” being part of her name.
Truphena Muthoni’s first experience hugging a tree
The activist also shared that the idea of hugging a tree first crossed her mind when she was 18 years old.
The first experience was refreshing and therapeutic, inspiring an idea that would later on see her rise to fame.
“The idea for the tree hugging came about when I was 18 years old. I was at an event in Nakuru, and yeah, we were just walking, and I was left behind, yeah, I decided to hug a tree,” she explained.
“It is actually so therapeutic. I have been interacting with nature, but this time I decided to hug a tree. Just being in the forest, walking barefoot, planting trees. I walk a lot in the forest,” she added.
The renowned activist who holds the world record for the longest hug given to a tree also confirmed that she will soon receive the certificate for her recent tree-hugging feat in which she clocked 72 hours to break her previous record.
Muthoni attained the feat on December 11, 2025, with Kenyans celebrating her achievement and piling pressure on Guinness World Records to recognise her record.
Ruto’s appointment & inspiring viral tree-hugging challenge
Her marathon inspired the tree-hugging challenge that has gone viral, with Kenyans across the country jumping onto the viral trend to create awareness for various issues.
Her accomplishment sparked celebrations across the country, with President William Ruto hosting her at State House.
The president appointed her ambassador of the 15 Billion Tree Planting Campaign in recognition of her courage, resilience and leadership in championing environmental stewardship.