The High Court in Kibera has heard that police officers received repeated reports and calls concerning incidents at the home of murdered Dutch businessman Tob Cohen before his disappearance. Police Constable Stanley Kanyile testified that on July 19, 2019, officers responded to a distress call from Cohen’s residence in Spring Valley. They encountered three men in civilian clothes and Sarah Wairimu, who reported that she was in distress.
The court also heard from Inspector Joseph Maina, a former Officer Commanding Station at Parklands Police Station, who testified about an earlier police visit to Cohen’s home following an assault complaint. Maina said Cohen told the officers that his wife had assaulted him and directed them to a room where he said she had locked herself. The officers went to the room but received no response and could not establish whether Wairimu was inside.
The visit to Cohen’s home was recorded under OB 37/19/7/19, while the officers’ return to the station was recorded under OB 41/19/7/2019. According to Kanyile, the police received multiple calls concerning incidents at Cohen's residence, indicating a pattern of domestic disputes. The court heard that the police followed standard procedures in responding to the distress calls.
A former gardener and housekeeper, Shilindwa Shihemi, also testified about his time working for the couple between 2018 and 2019. He recalled a February 2019 incident in which he said Cohen was bleeding and asked him to photograph his injuries. Shihemi's testimony provided insight into the events leading up to Cohen's disappearance.
Shihemi further told the court about his return to the couple’s Lower Kabete residence on July 22, 2019, and events that followed Cohen’s disappearance. He later learnt that Cohen’s body had been discovered inside a septic tank. The court heard that Shihemi's testimony corroborated the prosecution's account of the events surrounding Cohen's death.
The three witnesses testified as the prosecution continued presenting evidence on events surrounding Cohen’s relationship with Wairimu, the incidents reported at his residences, and the circumstances leading to his disappearance and death. The prosecution's evidence suggests that there were multiple instances of domestic disputes at Cohen's residence.
The murder trial will resume on September 29, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to call additional witnesses. Sarah Wairimu Cohen, who is accused of Tob Cohen's murder, has been the focus of the prosecution's evidence so far. The case has garnered significant attention due to the circumstances surrounding Cohen's death.
Key points
- Police responded to multiple distress calls at Tob Cohen's home in 2019.
- The court heard testimony from multiple witnesses, including police officers and a former gardener.
- The murder trial is ongoing, with the prosecution presenting evidence on the circumstances surrounding Cohen's death.
