In this episode of Gearhaus, Vanilla and Kalasinga are joined by Mike Manani — the man behind Manani Imports, one of the biggest names in Kenya’s new and used car import game.

Right now, Kenya’s car import scene is wild. From people losing millions in shady deals to importers running into cash flow crises and customers waiting endlessly for cars that never arrive — it’s a jungle out there. So we brought in Mike to break it all down and give us the real talk on how the business actually works.

He walks us through what really happens when you import a car from Japan, why it’s not as easy as jumping onto an auction site and clicking ‘buy now,’ and how to avoid being scammed by the so-called “dealers” who promise dream cars that never make it to Mombasa.

Vanilla and Kalasinga dig into everything from:

How to deal with KRA and handle the tax maze like a pro

What to look out for before wiring that deposit overseas

The traps that most people fall into — and how to dodge them

Plus, how Manani built one of Kenya’s most trusted import brands from the ground up

It’s fast-paced, insightful, and packed with real stories from the front-line of Kenya’s car import industry — a must-listen if you’ve ever thought about bringing in your own ride from Japan.