A senior police officer has told the court that Dutch businessman Tob Cohen attempted to protect his wife, Sarah Wairimu Cohen, from prosecution after initially reporting her for an alleged assault before his death.
The court heard that after making the complaint, Cohen later became uncooperative with investigators, saying Sarah was still his legally married wife and declining to assist police in tracing her for arrest.
The officer, who was testifying in the murder trial of Sarah Wairimu Cohen, told the court that investigations into the alleged assault began after Cohen reported the matter at the Nairobi Regional Police offices. According to the officer, after reviewing the investigation file, he directed that Sarah Wairimu be arrested and taken to court to face charges.
“After the late Tob Cohen made an assault complaint against his wife Sarah Wairimu Cohen at Nairobi Region, the search for the suspect commenced so that she could be brought to book. After perusing the investigation file, I directed that the said suspect, Sarah Wairimu Cohen, be arrested and taken to court to answer to the charges,” the officer told the court.
The officer further testified that during the process of arresting Sarah, Cohen changed his position and stopped cooperating with the police.
“During that time, Tob Cohen started being uncooperative and when asked why, he stated that Sarah was still his wife, so he decided not to show the investigating officers where the accused person was,” the officer said.
The court heard that immediately after the alleged assault, Cohen obtained treatment notes from a hospital and presented them to the police station. He was issued with a P3 form, which was filled at the station by the investigating officer. He was then directed to take the P3 form to a police doctor for further medical examination before returning it to the station as part of the investigations.
The officer told the court that after reviewing the file, investigators made a decision to charge Sarah Wairimu. However, before her arrest could be effected, Cohen allegedly became reluctant to assist police officers locate her.
The testimony was presented during the hearing of the murder case in which Sarah Wairimu Cohen is accused of killing her husband, Tob Cohen, a charge she has denied.
The case dates back to July 2019 when Tob Cohen, a wealthy Dutch businessman and former senior executive, was reported missing from his home in Lower Kabete. After weeks of investigations, his body was discovered buried in an underground water tank at his Kitisuru residence. The discovery shocked the country and led to the arrest and charging of his wife, Sarah Wairimu Cohen, over his alleged murder.
The prosecution alleges that Sarah was involved in Cohen’s death, while the defence has maintained her innocence. The trial has continued for years, with witnesses giving evidence on events surrounding Cohen’s disappearance, his relationship with Sarah, and the investigations that followed.
The murder trial has been adjourned to July 13, 2026
