A 21-year-old woman has joined the latest popular tree-hugging challenges to raise awareness on rampant Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Isiolo County.
The action has drawn the attention of hundreds of residents from Isiolo town, who have been thronging the Isiolo county assembly precincts to witness the action from outside.
According to Halima Boru, 21, she began the 72-hour tree-hugging challenge at 5.00 pm on Thursday, January 15, 2026 to raise awareness on GBV, adding that her action is meant to advocate for the rights of women and girls, whom she noted were suffering silently due to the widespread vice across the region.
One of the residents, Batula Ali, who became emotional after witnessing Halima’s courage, said many women in the county continue to endure abuse without speaking out.
She also warned against individuals discouraging Halima, saying that labelling her action as shameful only silences GBV victims further.
“Despite many women suffering from GBV in silence, only a few have the courage to speak out and explain the challenges they face,” Batula said.
Another onlooker, Nuria Waqo described Halima’s action as a “voice for the voiceless”, noting that many women experience GBV but fear coming forward to share their pain.
According to Bahari Muhamed, Halima began the challenge at 5:00 p.m. yesterday and plans to hug the tree continuously for 72 hours.
Mohamed called on well-wishers to support the initiative by providing security, a tent, and a public address system to help amplify the message and ensure the success of the campaign.
Isiolo Gender Watch programme coordinator, Grace Lolim, castigated community members who still support societal vices including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), spouses battering and early marriages saying such retrogressive practices contravene the law and all those found culpable must be prosecuted.
She called upon the government and the other support groups to help gender activists in awareness creation in order to assist in the fight against GBV.
By David Nduro
