Kenyan environmentalist Truphena Muthoni has come out to address online speculation about her recent 72-hour tree-hugging attempt amid reports that she is not a record holder.
Truphena, who has gained nationwide attention as a result of her bold feat, took to her social media platforms to dismiss claims that her world record had been rejected.
According to the environment enthusiast, while her record was yet to be ratified, she was still in discussions with the Guinness World Records about an official ratification of her latest tree-hugging marathon.
“Please disregard false information that my world record attempt cannot be approved by Guinness World Records. I am currently uploading my evidence, and it will be published in the coming days,” she wrote.
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.
Since the feat is yet to be ratified by the Guinness World Records, Truphena's record remains at 48 hours, which she set in February.
The environmentalist further explained that she remained in active discussions with officials of the Guinness World Records and was submitting the required verified materials to enable verification and subsequent ratification of her record.
Alongside her statement, Truphena shared a screenshot of her discussions with the London-based company, where she promised to provide reliable information on her record-breaking feat on December 11.
How a Record is Ratified by Guinness
For a record to be ratified by the Guinness Records, one has to make a pre-attempt notification to make the officials aware of their attempt.
Once an attempt is complete, one must submit a series of documentation to prove that the record was achieved legitimately. This can entail continuous video footage, an independent witness statement, photographic proof and in some cases, professional logs.
Guinness World Records will then review the evidence which is to be uploaded in their portal for review my the records management team. This can take up to three months.
In the case where individuals want priority services, they can pay up to Ksh100,000 to fast track the review of their application.
Despite uncertainty over her world record, Truphena's feat has come with its fair share of perks, including several goodies from President William Ruto.
To recognise her feat, President Ruto announced Truphena would be appointed as an Ambassador of the 15 billion tree-planting campaign.
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.
