Something extraordinary is happening right now in Nyeri, Kenya, and the world needs to pay attention. Truphena Muthoni, 22 years old, has wrapped her arms around a tree and won’t let go for three straight days.
No sleep. No breaks. Just an unshakeable belief that this wild act of endurance will change how we see nature.
Earlier this year, the young woman from Ihwagi Mathira stunned everyone by hugging a tree for 48 hours straight. She is now back, pushing harder, going longer, and carrying a message that cuts deeper than any record book.
The countdown kicked off in Nyeri town, and the energy was electric! County officials, staff, and locals packed the streets, cheering for their homegrown hero.
Truphena is fighting for indigenous trees, championing marginalized communities, and creating awareness about people living with disabilities. During her challenge, she will spend three hours blindfolded, inviting all of us to walk, even briefly, in the shoes of the visually impaired.
“Nature is therapy,” she says. And honestly? She might be onto something. Mental health struggles continue to spike among Kenya’s youth.
And Truphena is literally hugging the solution, reminding us that reconnecting with the earth might be exactly what we need.
Nyeri is rallying hard behind her as she pushes through the challenge, trying to put the county on the global map.
As Truphena endures her 72-hour test of will, she carries more than personal ambition. She carries hope, purpose, and a generation ready to fight for the planet.
By Kamaru Mathenge
