The murder trial of Sarah Wairimu Cohen, accused of killing her husband Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, continued on Thursday with four prosecution witnesses testifying before the High Court. The witnesses included musician and Plums Hotel band owner Haston Kombe, who told the court that he saw Cohen at the hotel on July 19, 2019, days before his disappearance. Kombe said Cohen joined the evening's entertainment and went on stage with the band.
During his performance, Cohen repeatedly sang a song titled ‘Love Gone Sour.’ The witness recalled Cohen singing the line: “You old woman, you treat me so mean; you are the meanest old woman I have ever seen.” This performance was one of the last public appearances of Cohen before he went missing. The witness later learnt through media reports that Cohen had been reported missing.
Samuel Murathimi, the Golf Operations Manager at Muthaiga Golf Club at the time, also testified and presented records confirming Cohen's visit to the club on July 19, 2019. The records were admitted as documentary evidence in support of the prosecution's case. This corroborates the timeline of Cohen's activities before his disappearance.
Sergeant Mbalwe of Parklands Police Station testified about an earlier assault complaint made by Cohen against his wife. Mbalwe said Cohen reported the alleged assault on February 13, 2019, but initially indicated that he did not want his wife arrested before later changing his mind. The officer further told the court that on July 19, 2019, Cohen contacted him and reported that his wife was at their residence, asking for police intervention.
According to Sergeant Mbalwe, the matter was escalated to his superiors, who subsequently dispatched officers to the residence. However, effecting the arrest became difficult after the suspect locked herself inside the house. The witness also testified about attempts to reach Cohen following the complaint, the registration of an assault case at the Kibera Law Courts on July 31, 2019.
John Mungai, a former government analyst and forensic controller, was the fourth witness to testify. Mungai told the court that he analysed several exhibits recovered during investigations, including material collected from Cohen's residence, vehicles, bedrooms and a water tank. He said DNA analysis of some of the exhibits generated profiles attributed to unknown male and female sources.
The trial before Lady Justice Diana Rachel Kavedza was adjourned to October 12 and 14, 2026, when seven and five prosecution witnesses are expected to testify, respectively. The court heard that DNA profiles obtained from Cohen's cartilage and nail samples were consistent with those of a biological sibling of Gabriella Hannah Cohen and Bernard Cohen.
Key points
- The murder trial of Sarah Wairimu Cohen continued with four prosecution witnesses testifying before the High Court.
- Tob Cohen was last seen performing at a hotel on July 19, 2019.
- DNA analysis of some exhibits generated profiles attributed to unknown male and female sources.
