Joseph Kairo Wambui, also known as Khalif Kairo, is currently facing legal trouble after the Kenya Revenue Authority charged him and his company, Kai & Karo Limited, with tax fraud. The case, which is being handled at the Nyeri Law Courts, is based on the alleged misdeclaration of a luxury vehicle in order to pay less customs duty.
According to court documents, Kairo is accused of declaring a Land Rover Range Rover Vogue as a used Range Rover Sport during importation on January 10, 2024. This act reportedly resulted in a loss of Ksh 1,283,830 in customs revenue, which forms the basis of the fraud charges.
Kairo appeared before the court and pleaded not guilty. He was released on a bond of Ksh 500,000 and the case was scheduled for mention on June 4, 2025. This date is meant to allow the court to check the progress of the matter and determine the next steps.
The charges come at a time when KRA is under pressure to increase tax collection and deal with non-compliance, especially among high-value goods importers. Vehicle misdeclaration has been a common tactic used to evade taxes, and KRA has intensified efforts to track such cases, particularly those involving influential individuals.
Cyprian Is Nyakundi reported the matter on his X platform, giving more attention to the ongoing case. In his post, he highlighted the details of the charge sheet and pointed out the amount of tax allegedly lost through the false declaration.
Nyakundi’s report also mentioned Kairo’s bond terms and the scheduled court mention, providing a factual summary of the legal process so far. His involvement has drawn attention to the case from those who follow business and governance matters, especially involving public revenue.
On his part, Kairo has claimed that the charges may not be genuine and could be the result of a personal conflict with a former business partner. He alleges that this individual, who is already suing him for Ksh 30 million, might have influenced officials at the KRA in Nyeri to press charges against him.
According to Kairo, there have been threats and attempts to bribe officials, suggesting that the case could be part of a larger campaign to harass and frustrate him. These claims add a layer of complexity, making it unclear whether the matter is a straightforward tax fraud case or something driven by personal differences and power struggles.
While the court is expected to determine the truth based on evidence, the case has already sparked interest due to the nature of the accusations and the profile of the individuals involved.
