Outstretched arms on this end, a reciprocated act on the other, then a hug!

Thunderous claps are heard. Clerks tick on their papers. This is one more hug of the targeted 15,000. The cameras are rolling. A timer is running. The action, happening outside the Hilton Hotel building in Nairobi, is being streamed live online, and in some moments on NTV.

This is a Valentine’s Day of its own kind.

Nairobi residents are not the type to turn down a hug, and many approach the youthful journalist and creative on the podium with his outstretched arms. Both his hands must clasp at the back of the person he is hugging or this won’t be counted as a complete hug. With his not-too-short frame and a lean build, he does it so effortlessly.

His name is George Achoka, alias Reality Choks, and he is living the moment. The midday sun singes his forehead and his feet look ill at ease in his open shoes. Never mind that Achoka, who is in his early thirties, is in a black attire in the early hours of the afternoon.

As he hugs one person after another, male and female alike, Nairobi paths are choked by people moving about, dressed to kill and carrying a flower here, a package of gifts there, and sometimes holding hands with a member of the opposite sex.

There, on a podium, Achoka stands, his arms outstretched, beckoning anyone and everyone to come for a hug. From the haggard to those in designer suits, from a one-legged man to lovebirds who come in twos, they approach for a few seconds of wrapped arms. He is progressing well.

“Achoka usichoke,” the announcer teases, executing a pun involving his name and the Swahili word for getting tired.

As the timer reads three hours and 49 minutes, the clerks have registered 437 hugs.

When the timer strikes four hours sharp, Achoka has started to feel the effects of standing that long. He can be seen stomping his feet as if he is encouraging them. He stretches his back too, urging his spine to hang in there.

When the timer says four hours and 42 minutes have elapsed, which is 1.54pm in a hot Nairobi, the clerks have recorded 566 hugs.

“Welcome and spread the love,” the announcer tells passers-by. Many obey.

One of them is Janet Dama, who tells us that she arrived from Mombasa on the morning of Valentine’s Day and asked her sisters to bring her where the Achoka’s hug fest is being held.

“I feel good,” the social worker tells Nation.Africa. “I pray that he succeeds.”

She learnt of the record attempt online and she was determined to take part.

Another one is Trevor James, who works with an art management company in Nairobi.

“I’m happy to be here with Nation Media Group today, giving hugs. I have been one of the participants (in the hug fest) and I feel so good, overjoyed today to be even sharing with everyone around here,” he says.

“Achoka is doing a good job of promoting peace and spreading the love, and I can commend what he is doing.”

o enter the Guinness World Records, Achoka must overtake the record of 9,227 hugs in 24 hours that was set by a US citizen 12 years ago. Achoka’s goal of 15,000 is to “hit a higher target” as he said in an interview in November 2024.

“If we exceed his record by one hug, we’ve already broken it; but we are targeting a higher target because, I mean, we love each other and we can do it,” he said then.

Says the Guinness World Records: “The most hugs given in 24 hours is 9,277, and was achieved by Jeffrey Ondash (USA) at Ballys Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, on 16-17 February 2013…Jeffrey attempted this record as a fundraiser and for awareness for the American Heart Association. He also wanted to take back his previous record from 2010.”

Beating that target is no mean feat, but Achoka is determined to brave the day and the night till Saturday morning to see if he out-hugs Jeffrey out of the record books. The rules say that there must be a timer running non-stop for the duration of the record attempt and the whole activity must be live-streamed online without stop.

As for rest, Achoka had planned to take breaks every four hours.

“This one is that it isn’t a marathon with limited breaks,” he noted.

In marathon record attempts, like one attempted by science teacher Rose Tata Wekesa to have the longest science lesson last year, there are strict rules on how many breaks one can take. In her case, she was allowed a break of only five minutes every hour.

Why did Achoka get into this? In a previous interview, he said his intention was to spread the love. The idea for the hug fest was mooted during the anti-government protests in mid last year where he hugged hundreds of people in three hours.

“And we were like, ‘So we can do this thing. We can now create a hug fest event and hug people and end stress and spread good vibes,’” he said. “It is not even for breaking the record but for therapy.”

Ms Monicah Waceke Ndung’u, the Chief Corporate Affairs and Partnership Officer at the Nation Media Group, who was one of those who had hugged Achoka by 2pm, said it was an encouraging act.

“We are happy to have partnered with one of our employees, Achoka, who today is spreading the love through a hug fest where he’s trying to break the Guinness World Record and get over 15,000 hugs. We supported him, first, because he’s our own staff, but it’s also a lovely idea of spreading the love and they say hugging has very beneficial effects to the wellness of people,” said Ms Ndung’u.

“I went to support him and I’m glad that when I was there, over over 550 Kenyans had already hugged him. We encourage people to spread love; find small acts of kindness. They can make a big difference to somebody’s life just by hugging a person. We celebrate Achoka for making the attempt, but even more so for him wanting to spread the love, which is something we are also big on at Nation Media Group,” added Ms Ndung’u.

The timer keeps rolling. Achoka keeps calling passers-by, with the help of ushers. One hug after another, he gets closer to embracing the pages of the Guinness World Records.

By Elvis Ondieki