Aasai

Nairobi-based motor dealer Joseph Kairu Wambui alias Khalif Kairo has been released on a Ksh 3 million personal bond after days in police custody. Kairo had been unable to raise the cash bail and his lawyer, Davinson Makau, filed a formal application before the court for a personal bond. The application was made before Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina on Friday.

The court, while granting the bond, ordered the return of Kairos passport to enable him to travel to the United States for fundraising, a decision it arrived at after perusing Kairos previous travels, adding there was no compelling reason to limit his movement.

Kairo has been arraigned in court facing serious charges in relation to fraud, the latest accusations stemming from an alleged scheme to obtain Ksh 3,045,000 from one Dan Odhiambo Odundo. The prosecution states that he fraudulently obtained such money with an intent to deprive by falsely purporting to import for him a Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 from Japan through his company Kai & Karo Limited, knowing that was a false claim. Kairo denied the charges before Chief Magistrate Susan Shitubi.

This case joins the list of fraud charges that Kairo has been facing in the recent months. Earlier in January 2025, he was brought before the courts for allegedly hoodwinking his clients into paying large sums of money for vehicles that were never delivered. He is accused, in one count, of obtaining Ksh 2,145,150 from Jeff Kyule Munane between July 10 and July 29, 2024, on the pretext of importing a Honda Vezel Hybrid from Japan, an act that was never done. In count two, Kairo is alleged to have obtained Ksh 2.9 million from Dona Ayalo Okoth in July 2024 for buying a Subaru Outback, never delivered.

As the case continues, Kairos history of defrauding clients in vehicle import deals raises serious concerns about his business practices, with many wondering whether justice will be served for the many victims affected by his alleged schemes.