Sarah Wairimu Kamotho’s murder trial over her Dutch husband Tob Cohen’s killing continued on Monday at the High Court in Kibera as three prosecution witnesses gave their statements. The witnesses, Police Constable Stanley Kanyile, Inspector Joseph Maina and former Cohen employee Shilindwa Shihemi, were the eighth, ninth and 10th witnesses to testify in the case, called by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The prosecution’s case revolves around the events at Cohen’s houses prior to his disappearance in July 2019 and the developments that ensued.
PC Stanley testified that he and other officers responded to a distress call on July 19, 2019, leading them to Cohen’s residence in Spring Valley. Upon arrival, they allegedly found three men in civilian clothes and Wairimu at the scene. Kanyile stated that Wairimu said she was in distress. Inspector Joseph Maina testified that he visited Cohen’s house with another officer after receiving a complaint of assault. Maina said Cohen told them that his wife had assaulted him and led them to the room where she had locked herself.
The police knocked but could not get a response from Wairimu and were unsure if she was inside. They left immediately and went back to the police station to complete the necessary procedures to issue a summons. The first visit was recorded under OB 37/19/7/19 while the second trip is documented under OB 41/19/7/2019, according to the inspector’s testimony.
Shilindwa Shihemi was Cohen’s and Wairimu’s gardener and later housekeeper from 2018 until 2019. The witness said that in February 2019, he arrived at the house and saw Cohen, who was bleeding, and he was asked to take pictures of his injuries. Shihemi testified about the relationship problems between the couple and gave an account of what he described as a physical altercation between the husband and wife in the house in which he was present with his supervisor.
According to The Star, Shihemi testified that on February 8, 2019, he heard Cohen, who was allegedly yelling, “You are killing me, you are killing me.” He added that he went to the room and saw Cohen lying on the floor near the staircase while Wairimu stood nearby with a chair raised to strike him. In addition to testifying about the couple’s violent relationship, Shihemi stated that he had accessed the safe where they kept the property documents. He said Cohen had retrieved the papers from the safe after it was opened.
Further down the line, Shihemi testified about his return to the house with other staff on July 22, 2019. The changes he observed in the house, as well as the discovery that Cohen’s body was missing. Shihemi stated that he learned of Cohen’s death after hearing the news that his body had been found in a septic tank at his Kitisuru property.
All three witnesses are part of the prosecution’s case to demonstrate the events leading up to Cohen’s death. The evidence presented in court is based solely on the witnesses’ testimonies, which the defence will have the opportunity to refute. Wairimu faces charges of murdering her husband, and she has pleaded not guilty to the charges; her innocence is presumed. It will then be the defence’s responsibility to prove that she is guilty. It will be up to the court to decide whether she is guilty or not. The trial will resume on September 29, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to present additional witnesses.