Witness tells court of Cohen-Wairimu fights, safe and property documents

Chrispinus Chehemi, a former gardener and housekeeper at slain Dutch businessman Tob Cohen’s residence, testifies before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court in Nairobi.[Nancy gitonga ]

A former employee of slain Dutch businessman Tob Cohen has told the High Court of bitter confrontations between Cohen and his wife Sarah Wairimu, including a dispute over property documents kept in a safe at their Nairobi home.

Chrispinus Chehemi, who worked as a gardener and later housekeeper at the couple’s residence, said he witnessed growing disagreements between Cohen and Wairimu in the months before the businessman’s death.

Chehemi told Justice Diana Kavedza that Cohen once summoned him to the master bedroom and ordered him to move a safe.

He said Cohen directed him to break open the safe, but he refused.

Cohen allegedly became angry and told him that he would henceforth be paid by Wairimu because he had disobeyed him.

Chehemi said the safe was eventually taken outside, where another man called by Cohen arrived with a drill and broke it.

He told the court that after the safe was opened, he heard Cohen say: “I got what I wanted.”

Chehemi said Cohen then entered the house with documents.

He later reported the incident to Wairimu, who allegedly told him she had the code to the safe and claimed Cohen wanted to obtain land documents to sell the property

The witness also recounted an alleged confrontation between the couple on February 8, 2019.

Chehemi said that at about 10pm, he heard Cohen repeatedly shouting: “You are killing me, you are killing me.”

He went to investigate and allegedly found Cohen on the floor near the stairs, with Wairimu holding a chair over him.

Chehemi said Cohen was bleeding after the incident and later fell against a flower vessel.

He also told the court that Cohen later complained about his failure to intervene.

“Stupid... You did not help me when Sarah was beating me,” Cohen allegedly told him.

The witness said relations between the couple continued deteriorating, with Cohen at one point stopping eating food prepared by Wairimu and instead cooking or buying his own meals.

Chehemi later left his employment but was recalled by Wairimu in July 2019.

He said she told him that the couple had resolved their differences and that Cohen had travelled outside the country for medical treatment.

“I knew Cohen had travelled abroad for treatment,” Chehemi told the court.

When he later returned to the residence, Chehemi said he noticed several changes, including missing clothes and a red briefcase.

He said the arrangement of Cohen’s belongings made him believe the businessman had travelled abroad.

It was only later that he learnt Cohen was missing and that Wairimu had been arrested.

Chehemi told the court that he subsequently learnt that Cohen’s body had been discovered in a septic tank at his Kitisuru property.

The witness also recalled receiving a letter from Cohen’s lawyers concerning divorce proceedings he said had been filed shortly before the businessman’s death.

Wairimu denies murdering her husband.