Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, the widow of slain Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, has been charged with giving false information to the police and swearing a false affidavit in connection with an alleged loss of her passport.
Appearing before Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts on Friday, Wairimu denied the two charges. She remains held at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she is also facing trial for the 2019 murder of her husband.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Wairimu is accused of misleading police officers at Munyange Police Station in Othaya, Nyeri County, on 20 February 2023. Prosecutors told the court that she knowingly gave false information to Chief Inspector Mercy Riungu, claiming that her passport had been lost. The false report led to the issuance of a police abstract, which investigators now say was obtained fraudulently.
In a separate count, Wairimu was accused of swearing a false affidavit before an advocate in Nyeri Town on the same day. The prosecution alleges that she falsely declared her passport missing despite knowing it was not.
The latest charges come as Wairimu continues to battle a separate murder case over the death of her husband, whose body was found buried in a sealed underground water tank at their Kitisuru home in 2019.
Earlier this year, Justice Diana Kavedza denied Wairimu’s bail request, ruling that she should remain in custody until key witnesses testify. The court cited concerns about possible intimidation and interference.
The prosecution has lined up 78 witnesses in the murder case, which has drawn intense public attention for its grim details and prolonged legal process. Wairimu’s lawyer, Conrad Maloba, maintains that his client is not a flight risk and has shown full cooperation with the court.
