Details of the troubled marriage between slain Dutch businessman Tob Cohen and his wife Sarah Wairimu have emerged in court as the murder trial continued with testimony from the 28th prosecution witness.
A Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer, Musa Yego, told the court how Wairimu described disagreements and alleged incidents involving her husband when she was asked to provide additional information following Cohen's disappearance in 2019.
Yego, who was attached to the DCI, explained how the investigation initially handled as a missing-person case gradually developed into a murder inquiry.
The officer told the court that on August 2, 2019, he was instructed by the then DCI leadership to take over investigations into Cohen's disappearance.
The case had initially been handled by Fatuma Hadi Ali, who was then the Divisional Criminal Investigations Officer (DCIO) in Kilimani.
After taking over the matter, Yego said he reviewed the investigation files before contacting Wairimu, who was Cohen's wife, and requesting her to report to his office to provide further details about her husband's whereabouts.
Although Wairimu had already recorded a statement at Kilimani Police Station, the officer said he needed an additional account to help investigators establish what had happened.
She was initially expected to appear on August 3, 2019, but requested more time, explaining that she was held up in Nyeri.
She eventually reported to Yego's office on August 5, 2019, where she recorded the additional statement.
The officer clarified that at the time, Wairimu had not been treated as a suspect because investigators were still pursuing the matter as a missing-person inquiry.
During her statement, Wairimu reportedly spoke about difficulties in her marriage, describing disagreements that had characterised their relationship.
According to Yego's testimony, she alleged that Cohen had assaulted their family gardener, an issue she mentioned while explaining some of the challenges within their household.
She also raised disagreements involving her husband and Muthaiga Golf Club, further detailing some of the tensions surrounding their relationship.
The court also heard that Wairimu told investigators she did not suspect that her husband had been harmed or that foul play was involved in his disappearance.
She reportedly explained that Cohen had a habit of disappearing for periods before eventually returning, suggesting that his absence at the time did not immediately raise alarm for her.
However, the direction of the investigation changed the following day.
On August 6, 2019, the case was transferred to the DCI Homicide Team for further investigations, marking a significant shift from the initial missing-person inquiry.
Yego's testimony forms part of the prosecution's efforts to reconstruct the events surrounding Cohen's disappearance and establish the circumstances that led to his death.
The trial continues as the prosecution presents evidence and witnesses in an attempt to prove its case against Wairimu.
Wairimu remains the accused person in the murder case, and the allegations presented during the proceedings are yet to be determined by the court.
