Former KTN journalist James Smart unwittingly sparked a viral challenge after dying part of his beard brown and sharing the results on Monday, July 27.
The images of a dapper Smart in a grey suit were widely shared, with many noticing part of his beard had been dyed brown other than his style.
Among the first people to pick up on the challenge was activist Boniface Mwangi, who shared an image of himself after dying his beard the same colour on Wednesday, July 29.
"I went to the barber because l am doing a webinar on Friday. Anyway James Smart beat me to it after we did a dare to dye our beards," Mwangi disclosed.
The challenge gained traction soon after, with Smart challenging Kenyans to join in sparking hundreds of responses.
Among them were several men who shared photos of themselves having dyed their beards various colours including white and brown, even as others showed off their naturally colored beards.
A section of Kenyans criticised the new looks even as others welcomed it, challenging people in their lives to dye their beards as well.
It also inspired innumerable jokes and memes, with some editing pictures of themselves to add fake beards.
Smart has long earned plaudits for his sense of style and this didn't go unnoticed by many who shared the pictures.
Dyed beards are a common sight in Kenya, with individuals opting to dye their beards for different reasons.
While some men dye their beards simply to adopt interesting new looks, others may do it to look younger.
As individuals get older, the hair on their head loses its pigment causing the development of gray hairs. Some men opt to dye their beards gray for color consistency.
Some men, on the other hand, opt to dye their beards to have their hair and facial hair in different colours.
At the end of the day, it all boils down to a matter of personal choice and style.
