‘Love gone sour’: Witness recounts Tob Cohen’s final performance before disappearance

The murder trial of Sarah Wairimu over the killing of her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, continued on Thursday with four prosecution witnesses testifying before the High Court.

Among those who took the stand was musician and Plums Hotel band owner Haston Kombe, the 17th prosecution witness, 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, where he 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.”

“The witness later learnt through media reports that Cohen had been reported missing,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said.

Samuel Murathimi, who was 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.

The court also heard from Sergeant Mbalwe of Parklands Police Station, who 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.

“The matter was escalated to his superiors, who subsequently dispatched officers to the residence. According to the witness, effecting the arrest became difficult after the suspect locked herself inside the house,” the ODPP noted.

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, and subsequent developments after the businessman was reported missing.

He confirmed police records that were produced as part of the prosecution's documentary evidence.

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 DNA profile obtained from the steering wheel of motor vehicle KZQ 947, he told the court, belonged to an unknown male.

“The witness further testified 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,” the prosecution added.

Other exhibits produced mixed DNA profiles, while some did not yield any DNA profile.

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.