Murang’a man reveals what motivated him to start 80-hour tree-hugging challenge
Chasing to defeat Truphena Muthoni’s record of hugging a tree for 72 hours? No, that is not the case.
James Irungu from Murang’a County has revealed that he is on a special mission, one that will be marked by completing an 80-hour tree-hugging challenge aimed at drawing national attention to the growing cancer burden in Kenya.
A mission beyond records
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Speaking to the media on Monday, January 5, 2026, Irungu dismissed claims that he was seeking fame or records, saying his motivation was deeply personal and rooted in concern for public health.
“Niliamua ku hugg mti kwa sababu ya ugonjwa wa cancer. Ugonjwa wa cancer umekuwa ukisumbua watu sana na kumaliza watu wengi,” he said.
Irungu explained that cancer has silently become one of the deadliest diseases in the country, forcing families to exhaust their savings in search of treatment abroad.
“Watu wamekua wakienda India kupata matibabu. Nikaamua nikuje hapa kwa mti kwa masaa eighty ili tuonyeshe ya kwamba huu ugonjwa ni hatari,” he added.
The Murang’a man said the endurance challenge was deliberately symbolic, meant to provoke conversations that many avoid until it is too late.
He noted that while other diseases have historically received aggressive public awareness campaigns, cancer continues to spread quietly.
Irungu made a direct appeal to the government to elevate cancer to a national emergency status.
“Naomba serikali sana itangaze ugonjwa huu kama hatari sana,” he said, insisting that stronger messaging could save lives.
Call for urgency
Drawing parallels with past public health campaigns, Irungu referenced how HIV/AIDS was handled when it first emerged.
“Wakati ugonjwa wa ukimwi ulikuja, niliona ulitangazwa kama hatari. “In many places zinaekangwa mbao inaandikangwa. Je umepimwa?” he recalled.
He argued that cancer deserves the same level of urgency and visibility.
“Ata ugonkwa wa cancer unaitaji kutangazwa hatari kama ugonjwa wa HIV,” Irungu stated, adding that silence has only worsened the crisis.
Beyond government intervention, he called on Kenyans with the means to step in and support affected families.
“Ni ombi langu kwa serikali na watu wote wako na uwezo wa kusaidia, wasaidie,” he pleaded.
As Irungu continues hugging the tree hour after hour, his quiet protest has begun to draw attention both online and on the ground.
For him, the pain of endurance is minor compared to the suffering cancer patients face daily, a reality he hopes the nation will no longer ignore.
