conflicker PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Truphena Muthoni:Kenya’s Tree Hugging Champion who Turned a Simple Act Into a National Message*
*By Our Reporter, Nyeri*
At just 22, Truphena Muthoni rose from a quiet upbringing in Mathira, Nyeri County, to national and international recognition.
This was after she hugged an indigenous tree continuously for 72 hours outside the Nyeri Governor’s Office.
She turned a simple act into one of Kenya’s most powerful environmental statements.
Born to humble parents who nurtured her discipline and faith in service, Muthoni schooled at Parklands Baptist Primary School before joining Naromoru Girls’ High School.
Its at the high school where scouting shaped her resilience, leadership and love for nature.
Her passion for environmental protection grew through youth and community movements, including the Kenya Scouts Association, Rotaract eco-groups and environmental champion networks, where she trained in environmental advocacy, community mobilisation and climate awareness.
She told *Daily News Kenya-International* that the idea for the 72 hour tree hug,was inspired by the rapid destruction of indigenous forests and the belief that “people only protect what they emotionally connect with,” while also spotlighting mental health and nature as a source of healing.
As she clung to the tree day and night, fasting and enduring harsh weather, Kenyans thronged Nyeri in solidarity while social media erupted with admiration, debate and pride, transforming her endurance test into a national conversation on conservation.
Her feat shattered her own earlier 48 hour Guinness World Record, with the 72 hour attempt awaiting ratification, but its impact was immediate.
President William Ruto received her at State House, awarded her the Head of State Commendation (HSC) and appointed her an Ambassador for the 15 Billion Tree Growing Programme, formally placing her at the heart of Kenya’s climate agenda.
Muthoni says she intends to use the recognition to mobilise youth, protect indigenous trees and push grassroots climate action across the country.
In a further boost, Mount Kenya University (MKU) awarded her a full scholarship, offering free university education to sharpen her academic grounding in environmental studies and leadership.
Despite mixed reactions from critics who questioned symbolic activism, her resolve remains firm, often summed up in her words: “I am a guardian of the forests. Conservation begins with love.”
From Mathira to State House, Truphena Muthoni’s story stands as proof that courage, conviction and compassion can turn a single tree into a national symbol and a young woman into one of Kenya’s most recognisable voices for the environment.
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🗓️ [DNK-International@December 31,2025]
