President William Ruto has appointed environmental activist Truphena Muthoni an ambassador of the government’s 15 billion tree-planting campaign following her latest tree-hugging endurance attempt in Nyeri.

Truphena set a new personal mark on Thursday, December 11, after hugging a tree continuously for 72 hours without eating, sitting, or using the bathroom in a bid to raise awareness on environmental conservation. The feat is yet to be ratified by Guinness World Records, meaning her officially recognised record remains the 48-hour attempt achieved in May.

Fresh from the endurance challenge, Truphena was hosted at State House on Monday, December 15, where President Ruto, accompanied by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, formally recognised her efforts.

In honour of her environmental activism, the Head of State announced that Truphena would serve as an ambassador for the flagship tree-planting initiative, which seeks to restore forest cover and safeguard Kenya’s environmental future.

Ruto further revealed that the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Tourism Board had jointly awarded Truphena and her team a fully sponsored holiday, acknowledging the link between conservation and sustainable tourism.

A day earlier, Truphena disclosed during a television interview that she had initially planned to undertake the tree-hugging challenge in Brazil but was unable to proceed due to a lack of support from key stakeholders, including the relevant ministry.