Pastor James Irungu from Murang’a, who spent over 79 hours hugging a tree to raise cancer awareness, has publicly expressed frustration at the lack of recognition from the government.
Irungu says that despite enduring extreme conditions, he has not received the same acknowledgment as Truphena Muthoni, the original ideologist of the tree-hugging challenge, who has been recognized by the state, the President, and Guinness World Records.
Speaking to the media, Pastor Irungu argued that the challenge appears to favour women, saying: “Mimi I almost died hugging a tree for 90 hours, yet I wasn’t called to State House to meet the President simply because I am a boy.” He suggested that gender inequality exists in the recognition of participants in such challenges.
However, some observers pointed out that Irungu’s efforts were based on Truphena Muthoni’s original idea, and therefore state recognition would naturally favour the originator. One X user commented: “Why do you want to be recognised when the idea was never yours in the first place? Come up with yours and you’ll get the respect.”
Despite multiple attempts by others to replicate the challenge, Truphena Muthoni continues to remain the most recognized figure associated with the tree-hugging campaign.
