City businessman Joseph Kairo Wambui, popularly known as Khalif Kairo, was charged on Monday at the Nyeri Law Court with tax fraud amounting to Ksh.1.2 million. The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) accuses Wambui, owner of the car dealership Kai & Karo Limited, of mis-declaring a Range Rover Vogue as a used Range Rover Sport on January 10, 2024, to evade payment of customs duty totaling Ksh.1,283,830.
Wambui pleaded not guilty to the charge of fraudulent evasion of duty and was granted a bond of Ksh.500,000. The case is scheduled for mention on June 4, 2025.
If found guilty, Wambui faces a jail term not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding Ksh.1 million.
This is not the first time Wambui has faced legal challenges. In January 2025, he was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi for allegedly defrauding two clients of Ksh.2.1 million and Ksh.2.9 million, respectively. Court documents indicate that between July 10 and July 29, 2024, Wambui deceived a customer in Westlands, Nairobi, under the pretense of facilitating the importation of a Honda SUV from Japan, which was never delivered. In another incident, he is accused of obtaining money from a customer in July 2024 for a Subaru SUV that was not delivered despite full payment.
The prosecution has previously highlighted Wambui as a potential flight risk. On January 11, 2025, a day before his arrest, the court heard that he had purchased an airline ticket and was scheduled to fly to New York, U.S., on January 12. Police reported that he claimed he was planning the trip to secure funds and return to settle the matter.
The ongoing legal proceedings continue to draw public attention as authorities investigate the extent of the alleged fraudulent activities.
