Sarah Wairimu Charged with Murder of Dutch Husband Tob Cohen

Sarah Wairimu, the widow of slain Dutch national Tob Cohen was on Thursday charged with the murder of her husband.

Appearing before High Court Justice Stella Mutuku, Wairimu, who is the prime suspect in the murder of Cohen, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The charge sheet read that the accused, together with others not before the court, killed the 71-year-old tycoon on the night of July 19th and 20th in Nairobi.

Wairimu pleaded to the charge after Justice Mutuku allowed lawyer Philip Murgor to continue representing the accused, saying there is no conflict of interest.

The judge ruled that Murgor resigned as public prosecutor on March 7th, 2019 and cannot be forced to remain in office against his will.

The court will hear Wairimu’s bail application on Friday.
The second suspect, Joseph Njoroge Karanja, the estranged husband of Gilgil MP Martha Wangari, was also arraigned before Justice Mutuku on Thursday.

The court directed that he undertakes a mental examination at Mathari Hospital on October 8th to ascertain whether he is fit to plead to murder charge. Karanja will take plea on October 11th.

Cohen, who had lived in Kenya for 32 years, went missing on July 19th before he was found dead on September 13th.

His decomposing body was retrieved from an underground water tank at his home in Nairobi’s Kitisuru estate.  He was buried at the Jewish Cemetery in Nairobi on September 24th.