Where's Khalif Kairo's Wife Wavinya Maria? Kenyans Ask Amid Car Fraud Case
During his ordeal, Wavinya, according to a section of Kenyans, was nowhere to be seen.
Marvin Chege 
Popular Nairobi motor vehicle entrepreneur Joseph Kairo Wambui, alias Khalif Kairo was on Monday, January 13 arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on charges of defrauding two clients out of Ksh2.1 million and Ksh2.9 million, respectively. However, his 'wife', Wavinya Maria, was conspicuously absent from the court proceedings.
Kairo is accused of deceiving Jeff Kyule Munane between July 10 and July 29, 2024, in Westlands, Nairobi. The alleged scheme involved Kairo's company, Kai & Karo Limited, collecting Ksh2.15 million under the pretence of facilitating the importation of a Honda Vezel Hybrid from Japan, which was never delivered.
In another incident, the businessman is accused of obtaining Ksh2.9 million from Dona Ayalo Okoth 'through a fraudulent trick,' claiming to be in a position to import a Subaru Outback. The second incident occurred in July 2024, and detectives mentioned that the car had yet to be delivered despite being paid in full.
Police had reportedly apprehended Kairo two days ago after he allegedly failed to convince the victim that he was planning a trip to New York to secure funds and resolve the matter. During his ordeal, however, Wavinya, according to a section of Kenyans, was nowhere to be seen.
Khalif Kairo arraigned in court on January 13, 2025. /UZALENDO NEWS
"I know it doesn't concern me but there is this one question I've been asking myself, since Kairo was arrested two days ago plus today's hearing in court, I've not seen her girlfriend Wavinya then I'm like kwani mtu anaeza kuwa that busy hadi anakosa time to be with his partner," wrote one Kenyan on X.
"Kairo's girlfriend Wavinya was nowhere to be seen in that courtroom, perhaps she went for a Miss Universe contest that's why she didn't make time. Moreover, it's like she's clearing photos of her with Kairo on her IG account," wrote another.
Spot checks by Viral Tea on both her Instagram and TikTok accounts reveal that photos of both Wavinya and Kairo were nowhere to be seen. Her last post on Instagram was on November 12, 2024, while her last post on TikTok was on December 11, 2024. She had not posted on her IG stories at the time of going to press.
@wavinya_maria
The absence of photos of the couple, some of which went viral, is likely to add another storyline among Kenyans given that in October 2024, Kairo went public about his marriage and explained why he married Wavinya, a woman he had known for less than four months prior.
“I’ve been in toxic relationships before, but once you mature and develop a certain mindset, you realize it’s time to settle down and start a family. We’ve already made the decision to settle down, and we are very happy, just living life one step at a time,” Kairo said during an interview with Eve Mungai.
“When you meet a woman who shares the same mindset and principles, someone who wants to raise your children, you don’t waste time, but you just go for it.”
It is yet to be established if the move by Wavinya to clear her social media feed of photos with her and Kairo is a means of safeguarding her reputation amidst the car fraud case or if it was a sign that all was not well in their relationship since the matter made headlines.
Meanwhile, Kairo shed light on the events that led to his arrest, claiming that some influential individuals were leveraging their connections within law enforcement to frustrate him.
"I have spent the past two days at Capital Hill Police Station as a guest of the state. This follows an altercation on Saturday at Nairobi Area Police Station with a DCI officer and a client who was determined to humiliate me by secretly recording videos of the arrest and interrogation," Kairo said.
Adding "I have endured significant harassment over the past few weeks and despite my insistence that we amicably sort issues using civil procedures, some well-connected clients have been using some DCI officers to frustrate me making it even more difficult for us to conduct business and address their issues which are civil in nature and backed by commercial agreements."
Kairo emphasized that the issues he is facing are commercial rather than criminal, attributing it to economic challenges affecting business owners in the country. “I am not a criminal but one of the many honest business owners in Kenya experiencing challenges due to tough economic times,” he asserted.
The prosecution presented an affidavit from investigating officer Esther Mburu, who opposed bail because Kairo is a significant flight risk. The affidavit stated that granting bail would jeopardise the judicial process, claiming that Kairo's actions indicate a pattern of deliberate deception.
The prosecution further pointed out that the accused has the means and potential to evade justice if released, citing his alleged involvement in fraudulent schemes. Kairo's legal team led by Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta however told the court that he has been cooperative since the time the complaints were lodged.
Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina will rule on his bail application at 2 pm on Tuesday, January 14.
