Wamuzi News Ke
Pastor James “Jimmy” Irungu, in a moment that was both dramatic and heart-stopping, collapsed early Thursday morning after going through a mammoth 79 hours and 40 minutes of nonstop tree hugging in a marathon that was staged to highlight the growing cancer burden in Kenya.
This spectacular incident occurred just 20 minutes before he was set to complete the unprecedented 80-hour challenge, thus leaving the support groups in a state of shock and forcing the medical squad to intervene urgently.
Irungu, the 30-year-old priest from Murang’a County and the champion of both the environment and the rights of the sick, began the trip of extreme endurance on Sunday, January 4, 2026, in Murang’a Town and was already drawing crowds and social media followers as he broke and set new records.
His goal was not modest: to be in physical contact with a tree for 80 consecutive hours as a symbolic campaign to expose the “silent epidemic” of cancer and to demand immediate action both from the public and the government.
The previous week, when Irungu crossed the 72-hour mark, the crowds erupted with cheers, surpassing an earlier benchmark set by the environmental activist Truphena Muthoni, whose tree-hugging record that had gained the nation’s attention last year was only a few hours shorter.
The people present at the site were considering Irungu’s progress as a sure candidate for the new world record in endurance activism, and thus the nation’s focus on his cause was even more intensified.
At approximately 6:29 a.m. on Thursday, just a few hours before reaching his objective, Irungu fell down due to extreme tiredness and was taken to Murang’a County Level 5 Hospital, where doctors declared he was stable, but the cause of the fall was still considered to be extreme fatigue and long strain.
Murang’a County doctors reported that the essential organs were in good working condition and that Irungu would be released after he had been fully stabilized.
Mailand’s stubbornness was behind a lot of supporting. Irungu had told newspapers that his motive was very personal, influenced by seeing cancer’s lethal effect on families, including death and the unbearable expense of treatment.
His hugging of the trees was both a record-breaking trial and a proclamation taking the message to the public about the need for more focus on cancer prevention, detection, and affordable care.
County leaders from Murang’a, including the governor and local MPs, have been very vocal in their praise of Irungu’s determination and have promised that they will be the ones to lead the campaigns for greater public awareness alongside him when he gets back to full strength.
Though he did not reach his declared goal, Irungu’s marathon is already seen as a strong symbol of resistance and health advocacy.
