Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, accused of murdering her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, has been charged with lying that her passport was lost and swearing a false affidavit about it.
She appeared before Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts on Friday. Wairimu denied both charges. She remains in Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she is also on trial for the 2019 murder of her husband.
The passport-related events happened years after her husband’s death. On February 20, 2023, Wairimu went to Munyange Police Station in Othaya, Nyeri County, and falsely told Chief Inspector Mercy Riungu, the Officer Commanding Station, that her passport was missing. Police issued a report based on her claim, which prosecutors say was fraudulent.
On the same day, she swore a false affidavit at Pamki House in Nyeri Town, before advocate Muchiri wa Gathoni, again claiming her passport was lost while knowing it was not.
The new case adds to her ongoing legal troubles. Sarah Wairimu’s bail application is pending. Earlier, Justice Diana Kavedza denied her release, citing fears of witness intimidation. Police had reported that Wairimu allegedly tried to intimidate officers three times during the murder trial.
The murder trial itself is extensive. Prosecutors have lined up 78 witnesses. Court documents say Tob Cohen’s body was found buried inside a cemented underground water tank at his Kitisuru home in Nairobi.
By Vivian K.