CS Mutua Mourns Barber Who Shaved Him For 24 Years

It was a sad Monday, July 3 for Cabinet Secretary of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua who mourned the loss of a businessman who served as his barber for more than two decades.

In a statement, the CS remembered the late Francis Kinyua, his barber whom he revealed had collapsed at his workplace on Sunday, July 2.

"Sad day. Heartbroken: It’s with great sadness and shock that I’ve Just received news that my barber of 24 years, Mr Francis Kinyua aka Mkirinyaga, collapsed at his workplace yesterday and sadly he later passed away," he revealed in part.

Mutua divulged that he first met the late Kinyua in the year 1999 at Kenyatta Market and has gone to him for his hair grooming services since.

The late Francis Kinyua, CS Alfred Mutua's barber. /ALFRED MUTUA

So loyal was he to the deceased that he kept his loyalty towards him no matter how many barber shops he worked at, getting his haircuts from him, and only him in Kenya to date.

"He is the only barber who has cut my hair in Kenya (including just last Thursday) He was a man that I practically considered family," he went on.

CS Mutua further noted that the 55-year-old was going through high blood pressure before his death.

As a sign of last respect, the CS committed to taking care of the late Kinyua's children until they complete their schooling even as the family prepare to lay their kin to rest.

"His blood pressure was found to be very high before his sad demise. He was 55 years old. Rest In Peace, my dear friend. I will ensure that your children duly complete their studies. 

"My sincere condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time of grief. Ni Mapenzi yake mwenyezi Mungu (it is only by God's grace)," he added.

As any man will possibly tell you, the choice of one's barber is a big deal since this is a professional tasked primarily with maintaining the grooming and hygienic standards of a man's hair.

Running a barbershop anywhere on Earth used to be a business venture reserved only for men. This is simply because there are no other species in the world that knows the ins and outs of a man's hairstyle...and no one who does haircuts better than men do.

Barbershops in Kenya are dotted everywhere, even close to your residence. However, some men opt for specific barbers to cater to their styles as they are assured of not making mistakes such as using the wrong shaver, or haircare products among others; in other words, it is a delicate business whereby one requires top-notch skill.

However, women today are taking up the challenge of not only offering haircare services to men but also setting up their own barber shops.

A good example is Fridah Mwende, alias Mwende Frey, who decided to venture into the barbershop business also comprising a masculine atmosphere whereby men could banter about life and politics and football and complain about their wives’ cooking, in a way that seems like a dream in their sleep.

At the age of 27, Mwende runs the Man's Chamber Barbershop and Spa at Kamaki's along the Eastern Bypass in Ruiru (near the Thika Road roundabout, opposite Delta petrol station) and for only Ksh500, you can get a haircut and have her female staff twerk for you- for free!

She opened the business in mid-March 2022 with the specific aim of attending only to male clients and two weeks into her new venture, she showcased her body and twerking skills on social media to advertise her business, despite the controversy it generated, especially on Twitter.

Grown to be one of the most prominent female barbers in the Nairobi Metropolitan, Mwende recently introduced a new kind of massage known as the 'wood therapy massage', a vigorous massage technique that uses a wooden, handheld tool, either a rolling pin or a vacuum-suction cup to apply pressure to certain body parts include arms, stomach, thighs, and buttocks.

The grinding of the tools on the body manipulates muscles and fat, accelerating lymphatic drainage and enhancing blood circulation. 

Mwende Frey and her employees at Man's Chamber Barbershop. /TWITTER.MWENDE FREY