City car dealer and commercial pilot Khalif Kairo has shared the deeply personal story behind the loss of his mother, Lucy Wambui Kairo. Speaking on the Tubonge podcast with host Chris the Bass, Kairo revealed the circumstances that led him to sign off on her life support.
Lucy Wambui Kairo passed away on Sunday morning, 15 February 2026. Her death followed a prolonged illness that began years earlier. Kairo described the experience as the hardest period of his life.
A Six-Year Battle
The health struggles for Kairo’s mother began in 2020. At one point, she was in a coma, and doctors predicted she had only weeks to live. However, she defied those odds for six years.
Kairo recalled her resilience during this time. Even while ill, she encouraged him to finish his pilot's license.
"She’d always put me to account what’s happening when are you finishing," Kairo said.
As her condition worsened in early 2026, doctors informed Kairo three weeks before her passing that medical options were exhausted. Her major organs, including her liver and kidneys, had begun to fail.
“The worst thing is, I personally signed off thelife-support for my mom. Because the doctor sat me down and explained that there was nothing they could do to save her from dying,” he explained.
Despite the medical advice, Kairo initially pushed for more treatment. "I'm the one who kept on insisting no let's do thislet's try thatlet's do this," he told Chris the Bass. Eventually, he had to accept the reality of the situation.
“That week I almost gave up, I had not worked for like 3 months, because I was literally stressed. My mom’s situation weighed me down badly. I had to make the move, because I am the only boy in our family.”
The Weight of Leadership
Kairo explained that as the only son, the responsibility to make the final call fell on him. He described the need to show leadership for his family during the crisis.
The moments following the decision were difficult to process. "You go there into hospital you know you’re shown your mom you take her to the morgue you sign in you sign everything in the morgue it’s actually surreal," Kairo recalled.
Lessons from the Cockpit
Now a commercial pilot, Kairo uses aviation analogies to explain how he copes with grief and business challenges. He spoke about instrument flying, where pilots must trust their dials rather than their physical senses during a storm.
For him, those instruments represent his relationship with God.
Kairo has since returned to his car dealership business. He stated that losing a parent taught him to be more intentional with his time and less concerned with public approval.
