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Cancer awareness calls grow as Pastor Jimmy Irungu nears 80-hour tree-hugging milestone
07th January, 2026 09:27 PM
With slightly over 8 hours remaining for Jimmy Irungu to complete the 80-hour challenge of hugging a tree, calls have been launched to the government to make cancer treatment in the country free.
Various supporters who have come to show solidarity with Irungu lauded his mission, saying the burden of treating cancer is taking a toll on families and driving them to poverty.
“The government should heed Irungu’s call because he represents a thousand others who are out here struggling to cater for the treatment of their loved ones,” said Karanja Mburu, a leader from Kiharu.
“Cancer cases are on the rise, and nearly every family has been affected, and it’s high time the government declares it’s a national disaster and puts in place measures to ensure patients get proper medical care,” added Karanja.
Karanja also urged the government to ensure all the bodies being held by hospitals over unpaid bills are released to the families for burial.
He noted with concern that there are families who haven’t been able to bury their kin who died of cancer because they were not able to foot the hospital bill.
“We all know how expensive it is to treat the disease and people are forced to sell their property and they are left with nothing in their pockets,” he added.
George Obonyo, a medic from Texas Cancer Center, said there is a need to create more awareness about the disease, saying a majority of the people have little or no knowledge about it.
Obonyo said most patients go seeking medical attention when the disease has already advanced and there is very little that can be done
“The biggest challenge we have in fighting cancer disease is lack of awareness because there is very little knowledge out here and people don’t even know the symptoms to look out for,” Obonyo remarked.
He emphasized that early diagnosis is critical, noting that some cancers are preventable while others are highly treatable when detected early.
He identified cervical cancer as the leading cancer in Kenya, followed by breast and prostate cancers. Other common cancers include esophageal, colorectal, stomach, leukemia, lymphoma, and ovarian cancers.
He commended Irungu’s efforts, describing cancer as a major national burden and one of the leading causes of death in the country.
“Cancer is a burden and is now the third leading cause of death in Kenya. We show solidarity because of where we are as a country,” he added.
He encouraged people to go for early screening, adding that there are non-invasive screening methods that are simple and affordable.
He said his mission is to push the government to declare cancer a national pandemic and also make its treatment free.
