Kairo’s ‘wife’ has an illustrious modelling career under her belt at the age of 23
Wavinya Maria is a Kenyan model and beauty pageant titleholder who was thrust to the national limelight this year thanks to her legal marriage to Nairobi motor vehicle entrepreneur Joseph Kairo Wambui, alias Khalif Kairo. But that’s not the only instance that she has been famous.
Look Back: During a tell-all interview on Eve Mungai’s YouTube channel uploaded on October 15, 2024, Kairo opened up about his marriage and explained why he married Wavinya, a woman he had known for less than four months, uncovering interesting take-home tips for his followers.
“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.
“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.”
Couple Wavinya Maria and Khalif Kairo. /KHALIF KAIRO
Kairo went on to describe Maria as someone who brings a lot of brightness into his life and expressed certainty that she is the woman he wants to spend his life with. While responding to Mungai’s question about whether he rushed into marriage and is currently in the honeymoon stage, Kairo stated that when he sees a good opportunity, he goes for it.
“Sorry to say this but I approach relationships like business. I’m one of those people if I see a good opportunity somewhere I’ll go for it, the same thing that happened when I saw Maria and thought it was fine,” Kairo said.
“I realized that while I have met other relationships that did not work out, I cannot give up on her. She’s good. She’s perfect, and I’m not saying she’s 100% perfect. We both have our own imperfections.”
Details of the relationship first surfaced in August this year when Kairo took to X sharing photos of him on a date with Wavinya, two months after his relationship with social media influencer Cera Imani ended as the latter dumped the former. Wavinya on her part splashed photos from the date on her Instagram account accompanied by love emojis, dressed in a sexy short black dress, a matter which drew public interest.
Kairo’s ‘wife’ has an illustrious modelling career under her belt at the age of 23. Viral Tea takes a look:
Wavinya Maria Profile
The first and most important thing Kenyans should know is that Wavinya represented Kenya at the Miss World 2019 pageant, having been crowned Miss World Kenya at the age of just 19 on October 5, 2019.
She was among the two African beauties who made it to the top 12 in a ceremony that saw Miss Jamaica win the title. Miss World France was the first runner up, followed by Miss World India.
“We are happy with the results and we thank all the supporters, especially Kenyans who have walked with us through this journey. This is a great achievement. Maria has done us proud,” Terry Mungai, the Miss World Kenya pageant holder was quoted by The Standard.
A lady of indomitable faith, these are honours she currently brags about on her social media profiles, having failed to clinch the Miss Nyandarua Tourism Contest in May 2019, emerging number five. After her defeat in the Nyandarua contest, she applied for Miss World Kenya contest, joined the boot camp before the national contest.
During her reign, Wavinya focused on social impact through her “Beauty with a Purpose” project, addressing issues like period poverty by partnering with organizations to distribute sanitary products to marginalized women.
Early Life
Wavinya hails from Nyandarua County and was raised by a single mom in Mombasa, who died when she was just 12 years old, forcing her to relocate to live with her grandparents in the upcountry.
She went to Sasumwa Primary School in Kinangop Constituency and Mary Mother of God Primary School in Kilifi Constituency before moving to Manunga Secondary School in Kipipiri Constituency. She completed her high school at St. Teresa High School.
Wavinya has a background in journalism and mass communication from Mount Kenya University. She is currently pursuing a diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy and hopes to be an ambassador of her country in time to come.
Marriage To Kairo
During the interview, Wavinya expressed that she had made up her mind long ago about not wasting time in relationships, hence the swift marriage. She revealed that she had decided two years ago that she would not linger in a relationship if things weren’t moving forward.
“It’s a decision I made two years ago. Being young doesn’t mean I’m not exposed. If we’re delaying things for too long, then it’s a waste of time. Why would we date for two years? I decided I wanted to get married. I’ve studied, I’ve travelled, and now I’m ready,” she remarked.
Maria also shared that while her relationship with Kairo may not be perfect, she was happy with her decision. She has had her fair share of unpleasant experiences in the past and is currently focused on building a future with Kairo.
“I’m happy. It’s not perfect, but I’ve had bad experiences in the past. I remember someone sliding into my DMs, asking if I had a life before Kairo. If it’s about money, then I’ve seen money,” she said.
Khalif Kairo & Wavinya’s simple, intimate wedding plan
While fans might have expected a grand wedding, Khalif Kairo revealed that he and Maria opted for a more modest approach. Despite being legally married, they have yet to hold a large wedding ceremony, and they have no plans for one.
“We are legally married, but we haven’t had a big wedding, and people shouldn’t expect one. We’re modest and simple. We’re thinking of doing something small, maybe on the beach. We’ve already made our decision, and we’re very happy with it. Maria brings so much brightness into my life. We talked about all the important things and asked ourselves, why not?” Kairo noted.
Social Media Profile
Wavinya’s high profile achievements mean that it should come as no surprise that she showcases her experiences of the finer things a woman should enjoy, on her social media profile.
Currently, she is most active on Instagram, which fans can follow here: wavinya_maria
