Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) CEO Ezekiel Mutua on Friday, January 31 opened up on the incredible story of how he came to the rescue of a failing barbershop owned by young entrepreneurs.
Mutua revealed that his favourite barbershop, located in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), ran into financial distress in December 2019.
The young men who worked as barbers reached out to Mutua, informing him of the challenge. They urgently needed Ksh 400,000 to pay rent and a deposit to avoid losing the establishment.
In a conversation with Kenyans.co.ke on Friday, January 31, Mutua disclosed that the reliable, hard-working nature of his long-time barber, Mark, convinced him to support the group which depends on the barbershop for a living.
He revealed that Mark had been his barber for at least a decade and would even attend to him as early as 5:30 a.m. when he had flights to catch or other work-related engagements.
"Mark has been my barber for over 10 years. He is from Embu, I can even call him very early in the morning and within two hours he is there," Mutua noted.
A day after he held a meeting with Mark and a lady identified as Sue, to discuss how they could revive the business, Mutua entrusted the entrepreneurs with the Ksh 400,000 they needed to secure the premises.
It soon became apparent, however, that the entrepreneurs needed greater support in terms of capital to kick-start operations at the barbershop.
Mutua invited the entire group of 11 entrepreneurs involved in the business to his office for another meeting.
Stories of their plight moved Mutua to tears and he resolved, as they had requested, to take over the business and guide it to success.
Mutua was forced to make a sacrifice to get the business back on its feet as he took out a bank loan running into millions.
Renovation costs have already gobbled up over Ksh2 million with the project now 70 per cent complete.
"I took a bank loan from Equity and I will just pay it from my salary. This is about youth empowerment.
"I didn't know any of these people but I said I will make millionaires out of them," Mutua asserted.
Mutua revealed that the barbershop used to service high-profile clients including governors, senators, judges, corporate executives and Members of Parliament. He remains confident the VIP customers will return to the barbershop when it reopens.
As the improvement works approach completion, Mutua is already putting plans in place for a grand relaunch of the barbershop in a few weeks.
"It will be open in the next two to three weeks. We have invited Bishop JB Masinde (Deliverance Church-Umoja) among other bishops for the ceremony," he confirmed
