A 23-year-old woman in Bungoma town has launched a 74-hour tree-hugging challenge aimed at raising awareness about corruption in public offices.

The hugging is taking place along the railway line opposite Posta Grounds in Bungoma town, where Flora Onyango, a resident of Mbakalo Ward in Tongaren Constituency has vowed to remain clinging to a tree for three consecutive days.

Onyango said the symbolic protest is meant to draw public attention to what she described as rampant corruption in the country and to push leaders to take decisive action.

 “I have come here to undertake a 74-hour tree-hugging challenge to raise awareness about the massive corruption in the country and to call on our leaders to intervene and help fight corruption,” she said.

She specifically challenged government agencies tasked with combating graft to intensify their efforts.

 “Institutions such as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) should step up their work to ensure that Kenyans can access justice,” Onyango added.

Although her home area is Tongaren, Onyango said she travelled from Nairobi to Bungoma to carry out the challenge in her home county, which she believes gives the protest more meaning.

She further revealed that she will neither eat nor drink water throughout the duration of the challenge.

 “I will not eat or take water until I complete the 74 hours,” she noted.

Onyango confirmed that her family is aware of her protest and has been informed about her whereabouts and intentions.

She said the challenge began at exactly 1:04 p.m. and is expected to end at the same time on Wednesday noting that she has assigned an individual to monitor and record the time.