Bungoma woman embarks on 74-hour tree-hugging challenge against corruption

A 23-year-old woman in Bungoma town has launched a 74-hour tree-hugging challenge aimed at raising awareness about corruption in public offices.

The hugging is taking place along the railway line opposite Posta Grounds in Bungoma town, where Flora Onyango, a resident of Mbakalo Ward in Tongaren Constituency, has vowed to remain clinging to a tree for three consecutive days.

Onyango said the symbolic protest is meant to draw public attention to what she described as rampant corruption in the country and to push leaders to take decisive action.

“I came here today to start my three-day protest against corruption. I have not trained for the challenge, but I am confident that I will break the record,” she said.

She specifically challenged government agencies tasked with combating graft to intensify their efforts.

Onyango said she travelled from Nairobi to Bungoma to carry out the challenge in her home county, which she believes gives the protest more meaning.

She further revealed that she will neither eat nor drink water throughout the duration of the challenge.

Onyango confirmed that her family is aware of her protest and has been informed about her whereabouts and intentions.

She said the challenge began at exactly 1:04 p.m. on Monday and is expected to end at the same time on Thursday, noting that she has assigned an individual to monitor and record the time.

Onyango is among a number of Kenyans who have undertaken the tree-hugging challenge, which has gone viral since 22-year-old environmentalist Truphena Muthoni set a world record for hugging a tree for 72 hours straight. 

Muthoni's record-breaking gesture led to a Murang’a-based pastor, James Irungu, breaking the record after he clocked 79 hours, but collapsed just an hour before completing his 80-hour target.

Pastor Irungu was forced to end the endurance challenge at the 79-hour mark after his body gave in to exhaustion.