Muthoni breaks World Record by hugging 1,234 trees in 1 hour in Brazil

Kenyan climate activist Truphena Muthoni set another provisional record of hugging 1,234 trees within an hour in Brazil on Friday, May 8, 2026.

Muthoni had initially planned to hug 1,172 trees but reached 1,234, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most trees hugged in one hour, set at 1,123 by Abubakar Tahiru of Ghana in Alabama, USA, in March 2024.

The Guinness World Records team will now review the feat before ratifying it and officially placing Muthoni into the annals of history for the second time.

Muthoni took to her social handles and announced the news.

“Target was 1172. We reached 1234. After decades, Afro-Indigenous Brazil and the African diaspora meet Again! An old friendship remembered. A living connection restored,” she stated.

For the activist to achieve the record, she had to hug each tree for approximately two to three seconds.

Muthoni is currently the ambassador for the government’s 15-billion tree planting campaign. She rose to stardom after hugging a tree for 72 hours in Nyeri County.

The Guinness World Records later ratified the feat, confirming that she had surpassed the previous record of 48 hours, a benchmark she had set earlier in 2025.

Muthoni has gained recognition for her environmental advocacy, particularly her efforts to promote reforestation and the preservation of indigenous tree species.