President William Ruto has named Truphena Muthoni as an ambassador of his 15 billion tree planting campaign, among a string of rewards and national honours for the environmental activist.
Truphena, on Thursday, December 11, set a new tree-hugging record of 72 hours in Nyeri, without eating, sitting or going to the bathroom, to raise awareness on environmental issues.
The feat is, however, yet to be ratified by the Guinness World Records, meaning Truphena, for now, is yet to officially beat her 48-hour record set in May.
Fresh from her achievement, Truphena got the rare privilege to meet the President at State House on Monday, December 15, where she received recognition from the Head of State.
To recognise her feat, President Ruto announced Truphena would be appointed as an Ambassador of the 15 billion tree-planting campaign.
The tree-planting campaign was a flagship government initiative aimed at restoring forest cover and securing Kenya's environmental future.
In addition to the ambassadorial role, Ruto announced that the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) have jointly extended a fully sponsored holiday experience to Muthoni and her team, acknowledging the role of environmental conservation in promoting sustainable tourism.
A day earlier, Truphena did a TV interview where she revealed that she initially intended to conduct her tree-hugging marathon in Brazil but she was unable to due to lack of support from stakeholders, including the Ministry.
To further show support towards Truphena's cause, Ruto also announced the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry would facilitate her long-held dream of visiting Brazil to expose her to global conservation initiatives and strengthen her role as an environmental powerhouse.
The environmentalist's feats at State House did not end there. As a mark of national honour, President Ruto conferred upon Truphena the Head of State Commendation (HSC) medal, effectively recognising her service and contribution to environmental awareness and climate action.
"Truphena Muthoni is an exemplary young Kenyan whose dedication and determination embody the very best of our nation’s spirit," a statement from Ruto said.
Despite her 72-hour hugging feat, Truphena's record is yet to be ratified by the Guinness World Records, who reiterated that her record stands at 48 hours untill proper evidence can be provided to prove she continuously hugged a tree for 72 hours.
