There was drama in Kericho Tuesday when a senior police officer resorted to hugging a tree — a trend recently picked up by some Kenyans as a form of protest.
The officer said he was protesting against rising cases of gender-based violence targeting women and girls across the country. The unusual incident unfolded at Sosiot Police Station in Belgut Constituency, where the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Kennedy Wanjala was found hugging a tree inside the compound while in full official uniform.
A police report confirmed that the OCS had indeed resorted to the act as a form of protest.
“The scene was visited and it was confirmed that the OCS was actually hugging a tree in full official uniform, having attracted a large number of members of the public,” the police report read in part.
While hugging the tree, Mr Wanjala said: “I’m here to protest against gender-based violence targeted at women and girls…cases of rape and defilement are at an all-time high.”
He also raised concern over the rising cases of drug and substance abuse.
“Lately, there have been high cases of drug abuse, which is also affecting children and the youth…this needs to be addressed,” he added.
As he hugged the tree, curious members of the public crowding around the area.
Mr Wanjala also used the moment, at around 10.45am, to warn would-be offenders that they would not be pardoned once arrested.
However, the officer was later disengaged from the tree following swift intervention by his colleagues and taken for medical assessment.
Tree-hugging as a form of protest was recently popularised by environmental conservation champion Truphena Muthoni from Nyeri County, who hugged a tree for 72 hours on December 11, 2025.
Since then, several Kenyans have embraced the act as a form of protest.
The latest was a Nakuru-based woman, Susan Njeri, who sought to draw government attention to the plight of Kenyan domestic workers in Saudi Arabia.
However, the government has cautioned against the practice, citing potential health risks.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni has warned against prolonged tree hugging, noting the health dangers involved. She cited the case of James Irungu from Murang’a, who suffered kidney failure after attempting to hug a tree for 80 hours.
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