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Doctor reveals Jimmy Irungu suffered kidney injury following elusive tree-hugging challenge
08th January, 2026 10:08 PM
Pastor Jimmy Irungu suffered an acute kidney injury and severe muscle fatigue after collapsing during his 80-hour tree-hugging challenge, medical personnel have revealed.
Speaking on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Dr James Kahuna, a consultant physician and nephrologist at Murang’a Level 5 Hospital, said that the preacher was admitted earlier in the morning after collapsing at the tree where he had been undertaking the challenge.
“My name is Doctor James Kahuna. I am a consultant physician and nephrologist. We received James Irungu earlier today in the morning,” the doctor said.
The doctor explained that when they received Jimmy, he had severe dehydration and exhaustion, which had begun to affect his organs.
He noted that the preacher had developed an acute kidney injury as a result of the extreme physical stress and that his muscle enzymes were significantly elevated, indicating substantial muscle fatigue.
“He had been in town and was planning to stay for 80 hours, hugging a tree to raise awareness about cancer, which is a major pandemic in this country. When we received him, he had collapsed at the tree. He was extremely exhausted, severely dehydrated, and had started developing organ failure,” he shared.
Dr Kahuna added that the patient was admitted to the ward for resuscitation and that fluids were administered to restore his electrolytes to normal levels.
“We noted that he had an acute kidney injury and significant muscle fatigue. His muscle enzymes were elevated, and because of that, we admitted him to the ward, administered resuscitation, and gave him fluids to restore his electrolytes to normal levels,” the doctor stated.
He confirmed that Pastor Irungu’s sugar levels were now stable and that the patient was showing good progress, but the medical team would continue to observe him for at least 24 hours to ensure there were no further complications.
“He is now making good progress. His sugar levels are stable, and we are happy that he is currently stable. However, we will continue observing him for at least 24 hours,” the doctor revealed.
Jimmy, who previously was a preacher with Bishop Ben Kiengei’s Jesus Compassion Ministry JCM, had been planning to stay on the tree for the full 80 hours, but collapsed at the 79th hour after his body had begun to fail due to exhaustion and dehydration.
The preacher commenced the tree-hugging challenge on Sunday, January 4, 2026, aiming to raise awareness about cancer and to highlight the need for public education, government action, and better medical support.
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Steve Ireri
Steve is a senior writer with over four years of experience in digital journalism. His focus is on the showbiz and human interest stories. Emails: [email protected] , [email protected]
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