Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, the widow accused of murdering her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, has been charged with providing false information to police and swearing a false affidavit regarding the alleged loss of her passport.
Wairimu appeared before Principal Magistrate Zainab Abdul at the Kibera Law Courts on Friday, where she pleaded not guilty to both counts.
She remains in custody at Lang’ata Women’s Prison, where she is also awaiting trial for Cohen’s 2019 murder.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Wairimu is accused of misleading Chief Inspector Mercy Riungu, the Officer Commanding Munyange Police Station in Othaya, Nyeri County, on February 20, 2023.
She allegedly reported that her passport had been lost, prompting police to issue her a replacement abstract. Prosecutors claim the report was false and that the document was obtained fraudulently.
In the second count, Wairimu is charged with false swearing, contrary to Section 114 as read with Section 36 of the Penal Code.
The prosecution alleges that on the same day, at Pamki House in Nyeri Town, she swore a false affidavit before Advocate Muchiri wa Gathoni, again claiming that her passport had been lost despite knowing it was not.
The new charges add to Wairimu’s growing legal woes as she continues to face trial for Cohen’s murder.
In June 2025, the High Court scheduled her bail hearing for June 4, after the State requested more time to respond to her bail application.
Her lawyer, Conrad Maloba, has argued for her release, maintaining that she is not a flight risk and has demonstrated her willingness to stand trial.
Earlier in February 2025, Justice Diana Kavedza denied Wairimu bail, ordering that she remain in remand until two key prosecution witnesses had testified.
The court expressed concerns about possible witness intimidation and interference.
A police officer had previously testified that Wairimu allegedly intimidated her on three separate occasions during the ongoing trial.
“The accused must first demonstrate remorse, which she has not done, before this court can consider lifting the existing orders,” Justice Kavedza ruled at the time.
The prosecution has lined up 78 witnesses in the Tob Cohen murder case, whose shocking details include the discovery of Cohen’s body hidden inside a cemented underground water tank at his Kitisuru residence in 2019.
