For months now, Khalif Kairo has been one of the most talked-about names on Kenyan social media. Once celebrated as the “car boss” with a Midas touch, Kairo’s fall from grace has been messy, loud, and brutally public.
From allegations of fraud, bankruptcy rumors, to whispers of lavish spending on women, the narrative has shifted from success story to scandal. But Kairo himself wants to set the record straight.
In a candid response to swirling speculation, the outspoken entrepreneur dismissed claims that women had anything to do with the collapse of his car dealership empire. According to him, the idea that girlfriends and flashy lifestyles drained his business dry is nothing more than “blogger gossip.”
Kairo, whose real name is Joseph Kairo Wambui, ran the embattled Kai & Karo Limited. Speaking recently, he took aim at what he described as unfair narratives tying his personal life to his professional struggles.
“People are out here saying Wavinya, saying Cera, saying Imani… that’s all noise. Women are 0.05% of my problems. The real issues I face are much bigger than that,” he insisted.
His statement directly addresses the claims that his former relationship with influencer Wavinya Maria and his ties to Cera Imani somehow contributed to his financial troubles.
For weeks, timelines have been flooded with memes and “tea” suggesting Kairo poured millions into relationships, expensive trips, and flashy gifts, only for the spending to catch up with him.
But Kairo is adamant that the narrative is misleading. In his own words — client defaults, online sabotage, and an unforgiving economy.
The entrepreneur says many of his customers failed to complete payments for cars, leaving his business asset-heavy but cash-poor.
At the same time, he points to what he calls coordinated smear campaigns online, alleging that rival dealers and disgruntled clients have fueled negative publicity to bring him down.
“This business is tough. People think when you see cars worth millions you’re swimming in money, but liquidity is another story. Add on defaults and smear campaigns, and suddenly you’re painted as a fraud. That’s not the truth,” he defended.
Of course, part of what has kept Kairo in gossip headlines is his high-profile breakup with Wavinya Maria. At the height of his success, the two were seen as a social media power couple — jetting off for holidays, flaunting designer fits, and serving Instagram PDA.
When the relationship ended earlier this year, it only added fuel to the gossip fire