MURANG'A MAN COLLAPSES AFTER HUGGING A TREE FOR 79 HOURS.
Pastor James Irungu, the Murang'a man attempting to surpass the tree-hugging record set by tree-planting ambassador Truphena Muthoni, collapsed after completing 79 hours and 40 minutes of his planned 80-hour tree-hugging marathon challenge.
Following the incident, people at the venue quickly moved in to assist him before he was rushed for medical attention. Authorities later confirmed that Pastor Irungu is in stable condition at Murang’a County Level Five Hospital.
"Pastor Jimmy Irungu is currently at Muranga Level Five Hospital where he is having some checkup. His vital organs are okay it just a matter of fatigue and he is now getting good check up from our team of medics," Murang'a County Youth Affairs CEC, Manoah Gachucha said. "He is very okay and stable, his pressure and diagnostics shows that he is okay and the doctors said in a few hours he will be out."
The challenge, which required continuously hugging a tree for the entire duration, captured widespread attention among Kenyans, with frequent updates shared across social media as the hours ticked by.
Earlier, a large crowd gathered at the site in Murang'a town, where the 30-year-old pastor was hugging the tree to raise awareness about cancer.
The crowd erupted in excitement when James Irungu surpassed the 72-hour mark previously set by Truphena Muthoni in neighboring Nyeri County, celebrating with songs and dance.
Muthoni was officially recognized for her 48-hour tree-hugging marathon, while her 72-hour achievement is still awaiting ratification by Guinness World Records. Irungu began his challenge on Sunday and was scheduled to finish on Thursday at 5:27 a.m.
Numerous social media personalities and leaders, including Muthoni herself, visited the site in Murang'a town to offer support and encouragement, while artists performed songs to entertain the gathered crowd.
Kenyans used the moment to call on the government and relevant authorities to take decisive action by reducing the high cost of cancer treatment and improving access to screening services at the grassroots level.
