Joseph Kairo Wambui, popularly known as Khalif Kairo, has been in the public limelight in the past three months following arrests and fraud charges related to his car dealership business.
He was first arrested on December 3, 2024, at one of his car yards, and detained at Kasarani Police Station, accused of obtaining money by false pretence and pocketing millions from buyers without delivering the promised vehicles.
On January 28, 2025, Kairo faced two fraud charges: first, allegedly tricking Jeff Kyule Munane into paying Sh2.1 million for a car that he never delivered, and second, obtaining Sh2.98 million from Dora Okoth for a Subaru Outback purchase that never materialised.
He pleaded not guilty. His defence team, led by lawyers Dunstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta, argued that these charges were motivated by business rivalry.
Kairo’s legal woes have ignited a firestorm, as online users share his old tweets displaying opulence and broke-bashing.
With a determined look, he talks to Nation Lifestyle about his journey starting from Kawangware, a low-income neighbourhood in Nairobi, to becoming a controversial figure in Kenya’s car selling industry.
You have a boldness that’s unusual for a 28-year-old. Where does it come from?
Because I’ve seen bad things growing up. I first saw murder when I was young. Things don’t faze me. Growing up, we shared a toilet with 60 people. Those who have lived in the ghetto understand, you’d see maggots crawling out of the toilets. That was my life until about 2014. Selling cars helped me a lot. It helped my mom. It helped my family.
Some say your lifestyle is too flashy...
That’s their problem, not mine. My mom tells me, “You should buy land.” I tell her, “I want to build an AI [artificial intelligence] tool.” For some people, spending Sh1 million on land is the right move. For me, investing Sh1 million into my company’s website makes more sense. The watch I’m wearing? It’s worth Sh200,000. Someone will say it’s flashy. But for me, it’s an investment. It has practical uses—weather updates, flight tracking... It’s functional. People pick what they want to see.
People have said you have a powerful backer. Do you?
When I started the business, they said I was a drug dealer. That didn’t stick. Then they said I had sexual relations with a prominent politician. That didn’t stick. Then they said a former governor was my godfather, all because he attended a motoring event I hosted.
The truth is, my story is well-documented. My first trips to Dubai and Malaysia. My first car sales. It’s all there. But people only believe what they want to believe.
Joseph Kairo Wambui also known as Khalif Kairo during the interview on February 01, 2025, at Nation Centre.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation
Khalif, let's start at the beginning. Who is Khalif Kairo?
Khalif Kairo: A fall from grace or just a turbulent patch?
I grew up in Kawangware. I am the second born in a family of three. I studied in Kawangware. Two primary schools—Huduma Primary School in Congo area, one of the nastiest places in Kawangware. I walked to school every day. In my last two years of primary school, I went to a school called World Hope, again in Kawangware.
In high school, I studied at Dagoretti High School for one year, then transferred to a school called Kahuho, where I finished in 2012. I joined Zetech University in 2016 for a business administration course but dropped out.
I mostly grew up with my mom. You know, in Kenyan society, sometimes you have a child with someone, but you don’t end up married. My dad was present, but it wasn’t an easy childhood.
You’ve spoken about your son. What’s fatherhood like?
My son was born on April 8, 2017, when I was 20.
It’s not easy, especially when you’re not married to the mother. But being a parent is the best thing. He pushes me to work hard. I want to build a solid foundation so none of my children go through what I did.
Why did you drop out of college?
I started selling cars. Then, I went back to school in 2019 to pursue my commercial pilot training. I finished the course last year.
I’ve always been a car person. I think my dad played a role in that. He loves machines. Growing up, I was always interested in cars, even as toys.
And my mom had a small kiosk in Kawangware, next to a garage. I remember spending time there, hanging around cars. So, I grew up around cars.
When did you start selling cars?
I was 18. I finished KCSE on November 5, there’s a photo on my Facebook page of that day. Two weeks later, I posted the first car I sold—a Subaru Legacy. My first commission was Sh58,000. I knew some guys who worked at Subaru Kenya. I saw their lifestyle and thought, “This looks like a very interesting career.”
How did you grow your business with nearly zero experience?
I did sales at a showroom for two years, then resigned in March 2017. I became a freelance broker, selling cars on my Facebook page. That’s when I founded my first sales page—Khalif Kairo. I did brokerage for three years. I worked with a couple in Kiambu who owned a car yard. They held my hand. In 2020, just as Covid-19 was starting, I co-founded a company with two other people. But two years later, we had a fallout. That’s when I started Kai and Karo.
I left due to a disagreement. I ceded my shareholding, gave back the rights to the company, and walked away. I was not kicked out. People have been pushed out of companies before, but that was not my story. I decided to leave.
Starting over wasn’t easy, but I built this company from scratch. People think once you start a business, you’ll have a rosy forever-and-ever story. That’s not always the case.
Why the business name Kai and Karo?
Khalif is my high school nickname. Kairo comes from my Kikuyu background. In Kikuyu, "U" is pronounced "O," so "Carro" is "Cairo." I have dated a Carole before, but the name has nothing to do with her. My grandmother and my sister are both called Carole. So, “Cairo and Carole” pays homage to my family.
You often post your travels abroad online, to Japan, the US, Jamaica... How do you finance these trips?
The company funds my business trips. People see the fun side of social media, but they don’t see the work behind it. I’ve travelled to Japan countless times for car deals. My trips to the US are mostly to visit my mother, who is a resident there, but we are also looking at business expansion into the Caribbean and West Africa.
I live within my means. The trips I take are either business-related or personal. When I was closing an aircraft deal in South Africa, I stayed in a bedsitter, spending Sh3,000 a day. But no one talks about that.
I’ve never done a formal valuation of my net worth, but I believe my company is worth over a billion. Our dealership platform alone is worth tens of millions of dollars. That’s what investors look at; potential, not just liquidity.
Yet critics argue that your lifestyle doesn’t align with someone in financial distress.
People misunderstand net worth and liquidity. You can have assets worth billions but still struggle with cash flow. It’s a common business reality.
There’s been a lot of talk about your dating life. Do you consider yourself a womaniser?
That’s inaccurate. Last year, I dated two women. That’s it. In Nairobi, the average man probably dates 10 or 20 women. I’ve never had a scandal where a woman claimed I cheated.
Did you actually buy a Sh300,000 necklace for one of the ex-lovers you mentioned?
No. People took that completely out of context. I posted that a necklace cost Sh300,000. I never said I bought it. I was just doing a series of videos about Indian culture. But people ran with their own narratives.
Do you sometimes feel the women you date have played a role in the controversies surrounding you?
No. My issues have nothing to do with women. The real problem has been business-related challenges, not my personal life.
Would you date someone in the public eye again?
Right now, I’m not interested in dating. My focus is on my business. Relationships require time and effort, and I don’t have the bandwidth for that right now.
Do you regret sharing so much about your life on social media?
Not at all. My life is an open book because I want to inspire young people. Kenyan children lack visible role models. I want them to see my journey, through ups and downs and believe in their potential.
Do you think oversharing has contributed to some of your challenges?
Maybe. But I’d rather show the real journey, both successes and failures than create a false image of perfection.
There have been allegations linking your business to forex trading in Kenya. Are you in forex trading?
No, I mean, we are a company. We have three branches. And companies survive on two things—cash flow and selling goods. In our situation, there's been an element of a depressed car market in Kenya. We talk to a lot of dealers, and even government figures show a decline in the industry.
So, personally, do you do forex trading?
No, I don’t even trade in forex. I’m a businessman. That’s it.
Joseph Kairo Wambui also known as Khalif Kairo during the interview on February 01, 2025, at Nation Centre.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation
Are you in a position to disclose how much you currently owe clients?
No, that’s confidential company information.
With the company going through a rough patch. Where do you think things went wrong?
I underestimated how fast the company would grow. It has overgrown its users. We are running a major operation without advertising, without investors, without a bank facility. No safety net. Just us. It’s been tough. We're going through normal cash flow challenges. Every business has them.
But I see this as a good thing. Challenges mean growth. It’s time we changed our mindset. You don’t build a company alone. You need people to believe in you, trust you, invest in you.
How do you differentiate between company money and personal money?
I pay myself a salary. I’m an officer working for the company, just like any other staff member. People assume I’m taking company money for personal use. That’s not the case. The company is still running. When a business is under attack, do you think your landlord cares? Do you think employees will agree to go without salaries? The business has obligations.
Let’s talk about the crowdfunding campaign. Some people questioned the legitimacy of the platform you set up. What happened?
One of the biggest challenges in Kenya is access to capital. I’ve built a reputable brand over the last ten years, but if I walk into a bank today, very few will give me money without collateral.
That’s why I registered a new entity in the US in Delaware—to attract investor capital. We had received pledges, but due to the controversy, the campaign was halted. The platform wrote to me, saying they’d revisit the matter once the legal dust settles.
Then came the Paybill. How easy was it for you to ask the public for financial support?
Look, my supporters are my biggest asset. The same public that built my brand will stand with me in tough times.
People call me bossy on X (formerly Twitter), but those who know me personally will tell you I’m down to earth. X is a toxic place. There’s a lot of banter, but that doesn’t mean I’m arrogant. When the controversy escalated to a point where I was being arrested and pressured by unknown quarters, I turned to the public.
How much have you raised so far?
We raised Sh400,000 in less than 12 hours. That money helped cover basic operational costs. It was a powerful statement to show that even if you try to bring me down, I can always turn to my supporters, and they will listen.
Are you broke? Others cite reports that your bank balance currently is Sh61,000…
That’s true. I’m not ashamed of it. Companies go through financial struggles. There’s a difference between being broke and being poor. Being broke is a temporary cash flow issue. Being poor is a mindset. I’m still meeting investors, talking to banks, and working on new deals. We will rise out of this.
Some say you overindulge… That you misuse money on luxuries…
I drive a Porsche. It's on loan. I pay monthly installments. I work for my lifestyle. People need to understand that I sell a story—a lifestyle brand. That doesn’t mean I’m reckless with money. I haven’t changed my residence in two years. I haven’t bought a new car in two years. I reinvest my earnings into the business.
Some critics say you chase clout. How do you balance your social media presence with reality?
I don’t chase clout. I document my life. I post pictures when I’m riding a boda boda just as much as when I’m in a luxury car. But people selectively pick what fits their narrative. I’ve donated money, paid school fees for strangers, supported charities—but nobody talks about that. They only highlight what fits their agenda.
Do you feel like you should have focused on your work and let it speak for itself?
Look, I’m trending because I’m influential. You don’t become influential by staying quiet. I draw inspiration from people like Elon Musk—he’s controversial, but has that stopped him from building Tesla? No.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned so far?
Trust in God, and don’t put too much trust in people. My faith has grown tremendously.
