Pastor Irungu collapses near end of tree-hugging marathon

Pastor James “Jimmy” Irungu collapsed early Thursday morning after spending nearly 79 hours and 40 minutes hugging a tree in an ambitious 80-hour marathon aimed at raising awareness about cancer.

Irungu was taken to Murang’a County Level Five Hospital, where doctors say he suffered from dehydration and fatigue.

“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,” Manoah Gachucha, CEC, Murang’a Youth Affairs, told the media. said.

The 30-year-old pastor from Murang’a County began the endurance challenge on Sunday, January 4, drawing large crowds and widespread attention on social media as he sought to highlight the growing impact of cancer on Kenyan families.

Irungu said his motivation stemmed from personal loss and concern over the high cost and limited availability of cancer screening and treatment services in Kenya.

Supporters gathered around the tree in Murang’a town, offering prayers, singing and dancing as the hours ticked by. When Irungu surpassed the 72-hour mark, he eclipsed the record previously set by environmental advocate Truphena Muthoni, who had hugged a tree continuously for three days in her own environmental awareness campaign.

Truphena has since received a certificate from Guinness World Records certifying her 48-hour challenge and awaits verification for her 80-hour challenge.

However, just 20 minutes shy of completing the full 80 hours, Irungu suddenly showed signs of severe exhaustion and collapsed.

The unusual challenge reignited national conversation about cancer prevention, with many Kenyans using the event to call on the government to expand access to early screening, reduce treatment costs and prioritise cancer care in public health planning.

County officials, including Murang’a Youth Affairs CEC Manoah Gachucha, praised Irungu’s dedication and said they would work with him after his recovery to advance cancer awareness efforts.

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