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Truphena Muthoni stood quietly under the towering indigenous tree outside the Nyeri Governor’s Office, her arms wrapped firmly around its trunk, rainwater dripping from her hair, her breath steady despite the exhaustion.
For three long days and nights, she never let go. When the clock finally ticked past 72 hours, the crowd that had gathered burst into applause, celebrating a young Kenyan woman who had just set a new world record by hugging a tree longer than anyone before her.
But for those who know her, what she did was not a stunt, not a show, and certainly not for fame. It was the clearest expression of who she has always been a soft-spoken but fiercely committed environmental activist whose life is rooted in the forests, soils and rivers that shaped her from childhood.
Born and raised in Ihwagi, deep in Mathira, Nyeri County, Truphena grew up surrounded by nature. Her earliest memories are of following her grandmother into the forest to collect firewood and herbs, moments she now describes as “the beginning of my love story with trees.” She recalls how her grandmother would pause and place her palm on the bark of a mugumo tree, whispering a prayer, a gesture of respect that stayed with her long after childhood.
As she grew older, that quiet reverence for trees turned into a personal mission. She watched as forests around her thinned, indigenous species disappeared, river streams shrank, and climate patterns shifted unpredictably. To her, it was not politics or policy papers. It was home slipping away.
At only 22, Truphena has emerged as one of Kenya’s most intriguing young activists, not because of loud speeches or viral social-media declarations but because of her unusual way of protesting: hugging trees. Earlier in the year, she stunned the country when she hugged a tree in Nairobi for 48 hours, breaking her first record. She explained then that the act symbolised the connection humans have lost with nature.
When people asked why a hug, she always answered simply, “Because healing starts with touch.” That moment gave her national attention, but it also intensified the criticism , some dismissed her as dramatic, others accused her of chasing headlines. But those who spent time around her realised she is the opposite of an attention seeker. She rarely raises her voice. She rarely talks about herself. She prefers to communicate through endurance, stillness and personal sacrifice.
Her second attempt, the 72-hour hug in Nyeri , was different. It was not just a challenge but a protest born from pain. Over the past year, the destruction of indigenous forests, illegal logging, and rapid depletion of water catchment areas in Mt. Kenya deeply troubled her. She felt that Kenya was losing not just trees, but culture, memory and identity.
So she chose a method of activism that forces people to look, to pause, to ask what could push a young woman to stand for 72 hours without food, water or rest. In her own words, she hugged the tree so that the world would “feel the urgency that conversations alone cannot express.”
Throughout the three days, she faced cold nighttime winds, heavy rainfall and physical exhaustion that could be seen in her trembling legs. Yet witnesses say she never once loosened her grip.
At one point, she even wore a blindfold, not for theatrics, but to highlight how environmental disasters often hit vulnerable groups , including the visually impaired , without warning. The symbolism woven into her actions revealed a mind that thinks deeply about the environment, advocacy and human connection.
Her colours too were intentional: green for restoration, black for African resilience, red for the sacrifice of indigenous defenders, and blue for the water bodies she fears are slowly dying. Every detail of her vigil had meaning because to Truphena, the environment is not an abstraction but the foundation of life itself.
Those who interacted with her during the challenge describe her as gentle yet unshakably determined, a young woman who listens more than she speaks, and someone who has found her voice not in noise but in stillness.
Her activism is built on empathy , for nature, for future generations, and for communities whose lives are already changing because of climate disruptions.
Today, Kenya knows Truphena Muthoni as the girl who hugged a tree for 72 hours. But behind the record lies a deeper story of a young woman shaped by forests, driven by memory, and bound by a belief that one person’s action, no matter how small or unusual, can spark a movement.
For Truphena, this is only the beginning. Her dream is to see indigenous trees restored across the country, children educated on environmental stewardship, and a generation that understands that climate action is not a luxury, it is survival.
In a world that often celebrates loud voices, Truphena has taught Kenya that sometimes the strongest statement is made without words, without spectacle, without aggression.
Just a simple hug, unbroken for 72 hours, that shook the nation and reminded us of the roots we should never abandon.
With a knack for captivating storytelling, Amos Lumbasi has a talent for crafting narratives that resonate with readers. He combines meticulous research with a captivating writing style to create articles that are both informative and enjoyable to read.