Tight supervision as Cohen widow picks personal effects

Sarah Wairimu, widow of Dutch billionaire Tob Cohen, collects her items from their home in Kitisuru, Nairobi, under strict police supervision, on January 27, 2020. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Every item she picked on Monday was photographed and booked into an inventory by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
  • Lawyer Philip Murgor noted that the experience, though necessary, was to his client a humiliating process.
  • Earlier, Mr Murgor briefly differed with the detectives over the cameras that would be used to document the process.

After sieving through her matrimonial house for over six hours, Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, who is facing charges over the murder of her husband Tob Cohen, finally picked her clothes, shoes, handbags and make-up as ordered by the High Court.

The High Court on Monday allowed Ms Wairimu supervised access to the rooms she occupied prior to her arrest.

She was only required to pick her clothes, shoes, handbags and grooming tools as deemed necessary to accord her a comfortable life under the circumstances of her ongoing case.

To each room she entered, she was accompanied by two female officers.

Every item she picked was photographed and booked into an inventory by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The items were then packed in white bed sheets, polythene bags and suitcases, which were then put in a truck under the supervision of the DCI detectives, regular police and her lawyers, led by Philip Murgor.

HUMILIATION

Mr Murgor noted that the experience, though necessary, was to his client a humiliating process.

Her personal request to the media not to film her personal effects being moved was unsuccessful.

The lawyer noted that his client shall be filing an application to have the house released to her.

“It’s been infested by termites and bats. Some sections also need to be repaired. We shall be asking the court to release the house to her now that the DCI is done with it," he said.

DCI CAMERAS

Earlier, Mr Murgor briefly differed with the detectives over the cameras that would be used to document the process.

The detectives had insisted that only DCI cameras be allowed into the house that was still cordoned as a crime scene.

Mr Murgor opposed this as well as an attempt by one of Cohen's family lawyer to access the home to verify the items that she would pick.

“The court order was very clear on who gets in. We must stick by it," he said.

The issue was resolved after the Cohen family's lead lawyers, Mr Cliff Ombeta and Dunstan Omari, settled on having the DCI record the process.