So, we are all hugging trees now? Since 22-year-old Truphena Muthoni broke the world record by clinging to a tree in Nyeri for 72 hours, the country has gone mad. We have people hugging baobabs in Kilifi and eucalyptus in Kisii, all hoping for a scholarship and a handshake from the President.

Don't get me wrong. Truphena is a hero. Her endurance was superhuman, and her scholarship from Mount Kenya University is well-deserved. But let us be honest: we cannot all be Truphena. And frankly, the trees don't need our hugs; they need our water, our protection, and our soil.

Performative Activism vs. Real Work

This "Truphena Effect" exposes a peculiarly Kenyan trait: our love for the spectacle over the substance. We love the viral moment. We love the award ceremony. But where are these tree-huggers when the illegal loggers invade the Mau Forest at midnight? Where are they when the developers grab riparian land in Lavington?

• The 15 Billion Illusion: The President appointed Truphena as an ambassador for the 15 Billion Tree Planting campaign. It is a noble title. But 15 billion trees will not be planted by influencers taking selfies. They will be planted by sweating, back-breaking labor in the mud.
• Branch Out: Real environmentalism is boring. It is sorting your trash. It is fighting for policy change. It is refusing to buy charcoal. It is not sexy, and it won't get you on Citizen TV.

The Verdict

Let Truphena have her moment. She earned it. But for the rest of us, let's leaf the tree-hugging alone. Pick up a jembe.Dig a hole. Plant a seedling. And then—this is the hard part—water it every day for three years. That is the only record that matters.