George Dufanda is a talented barber operating from his shop located at the Safari Business Arcade along USIU road in Nairobi.
In media interviews, the celebrity barber mentioned that he learnt how to shave when he was 13, using razor blade and a pair of scissors.
Dufanda was born and raised in DR Congo where they fled from, and lived in Uganda for eight months before settling in Kenya later in August 2011.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and former Mombasa Governor Hassah Joho are some of his many high-profile clients.
Here is his story as told by WoK.
Dufanda grew up in DR Congo.
Although his dream was to become an architect, he fell in love with shaving after being introduced to it by his father.
In an interview with The Nairobian, he mentioned that his father used to shave him alongside his siblings, but at some point, his dad let him shave his head.
Dufanda stated that since they were using a razor blade to shave, he had to be extra careful since a small mistake could lead to a disaster.
However, he notes that the skill later became a contributing factor to his success.
After settling in Kenya, Dufanda worked as a barber at a shop in Kayole, although he mentioned that he was naive and unable to showcase his talent.
“The clients were reluctant to let me shave them because of how young I was. But once they did, they were happy and became regulars in the three years I was the barber,” he said.
On an average day, he mentioned, he would make Ksh 150 which was a 40 per cent commission on every client.
On Sunday, the busiest day, Dufanda would make at least Ksh 300.
“A haircut was Ksh 50, beard and shaving kids was Ksh 20. Some people would even bargain, it was ridiculous
“I was also shampooing hair, washing towels, sweeping the floor. By the time I’d made that Ksh 300, I’d shaved more than 20 people every day,” he added.
He worked in Kayole for a while until a celebrity barber identified as Wash offered him a job at his barbershop.
The move marked the beginning of his illustrious career and he has since shaved top musicians, actors and even politicians.
His clientele include former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, former Murang’a Woman Rep Sabina Chege and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi.
Dufanda has also shaved top musicians including Guardian Angel, Willy Paul, Eddy Kenzo, Masterpiece, Bahati and DJ Mo.
He has also worked with musicians Diamond Platnumz and Juma Jux as well as footballers Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga.
While he charges Ksh 1,000 for a simple haircut, the most expensive cut costs Ksh 8,000.
“When I see what I’m able to do with people’s hair and beards, I know there’s something special and unique about me. I want to do this for the rest of my life,” he mentioned.
