James Irungu, a 30-year-old man from Murang’a, has embarked on an 80-hour tree-hugging challenge as part of his campaign to raise awareness about cancer.
Irungu, who began the endurance feat on Sunday night in the heart of Murang’a town, says he hopes the initiative will draw attention to the disease and prompt the government to declare cancer a national disaster.
Irungu says that, like HIV/AIDS, cancer has impoverished many families and claimed numerous lives, including those of some of his relatives, yet the government response remains inadequate.
Truphena Muthoni currently holds the record for the longest tree-hugging marathon at 48 hours, while her earlier 72-hour attempt in Nyeri County is still awaiting ratification by Guinness World Records.
As of Monday, Irungu had completed 12 hours of the challenge, with the clock still ticking.
