A Murang’a woman has ended a dramatic tree-hugging protest she had staged outside Murang’a Level 5 Hospital in a desperate bid to draw attention to the disappearance of her son, who is living with a mental health condition.
Virginia Wangari said she began the symbolic challenge to raise public awareness and appeal for help in tracing her son, Moses Waweru, who went missing after visiting the hospital together. Speaking on Monday, January 19, 2026, moments before ending the protest, Wangari recounted the last time she saw him.
According to her account, Waweru had been treated at the hospital and the two were heading toward the exit when he asked to stop for tea. He then requested his mother to return briefly to the hospital chemist to collect medication. When she came back, he had disappeared.
Wangari said her son has been battling depression since a past boda boda accident in which a close friend lost his life. She described the condition as having profoundly affected both his behaviour and her own well-being, noting that she has been living in constant anxiety as she searches for him.
She explained that Waweru’s mental health struggles have at times led him to leave home unexpectedly, curse people in public, and get into confrontations that have resulted in him being beaten, further intensifying her fears for his safety. Wangari added that she has made numerous visits to Murang’a Level 5 Hospital seeking help, but her efforts have so far yielded no answers.
The tree-hugging challenge, she said, was meant to serve as both a symbolic act to highlight the realities of depression and a public appeal for assistance in locating her missing child.
“I decided to hug this tree because my son has vanished and I do not know where he is. I said I would stop when I see him. I am exhausted and deeply worried because I have searched everywhere, including the bus stage, and I cannot find him,” she said.
After about an hour, Wangari ended the protest, leaving onlookers and journalists who had gathered at the scene visibly moved. Her story has since drawn renewed attention to the challenges faced by families caring for loved ones with mental health conditions and the urgent need for stronger community support systems.
