Kae-Kazim was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he spent his early years before his family re-located to London, England.[2] His interest in acting began with school plays and The National Youth Theatre,[3] which is when he discovered that he had "a love for theatre, for acting".[2] He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, graduating in 1987[4] and was offered a space with The Royal Shakespeare Company,[3] where he continued his classical training.