Environmental activist Truphena Muthoni is still firmly wrapped around a tree, hours into her bold and emotional protest.
But beyond the endurance and the powerful gesture itself, many Kenyans have been drawn to the colours she is wearing, each carrying a deep meaning tied to environmental justice, identity, and resistance.
Truphena’s choice of colours is not random but a statement, speaking during an interview with a local station on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, she said that each colour is a form of visual protest.
She says black represents African power, protest, and resilience. In this moment, black is her way of saying that environmental protection is also an African struggle, one rooted in identity and dignity.
The touch of green on her clothing represents reforestation, regeneration, and hope. As she hugs the tree, green becomes a symbol of the future she is fighting for, one where forests are restored, ecosystems are revived, and communities can still rely on nature.
In addition, Truphenas said that red is a colour tied to indigenous resistance and frontline courage. Blue on her attire is a tribute to water protectors and ocean defenders.
“Black means African power, protest and resilience, green is for reforestation, regeneration and hope, while red means indigenous resistance and frontline courage and blue water protectors and ocean defenders,” Truphena said.
As Truphena continues her tree hug, the colours she wears turn her into a moving symbol of environmental justice. Her protest is not loud, but it is powerful. It shows that activism can be gentle and still make a strong statement.
The young environmental activist aims at advocating against deforestation and the protection of animal rights in her 72-hour tree-hugging silent protest.
72-hour tree hug
Truphena began her 72-hour marathon on December 8, 2025, in Nyeri County.
Her goal is to break her own Guinness World Record, which she set earlier this year after hugging a tree for 48 hours at Nairobi’s Michuki Memorial Park.
Her earlier feat earned her national recognition and praise from environmental groups. She said then that nature had helped her heal emotionally, and she hoped her actions would help others talk more openly about mental health.
This new challenge is meant to raise awareness about deforestation, climate change, and mental-health struggles among young people. Truphena has also included a three-hour blindfolded segment to highlight the experiences of visually impaired people and to link conservation to social justice.
Local leaders, environmental activists, and residents of Nyeri have been stopping by to encourage her as she continues the marathon.
