Tob Cohen Removed Sarah Wairimu From Final Will, Court Hears

Slain Dutch businessman Tob Cohen removed his wife, Sarah Wairimu, and her daughter from his final will, leaving his estate to his sister Gabriella, niece, and nephew instead, a Nairobi court heard on Tuesday.

Testifying in Cohen’s murder trial at the Kibera High Court, long-time lawyer and the 26th witness in the murder case against Ms Wairimu – Geoffrey Chege Kirundi – detailed how Cohen altered his estate plans and questioned the authenticity of a competing succession document.

Signature Discrepancies Raise Authenticity Questions

Kirundi, who knew and represented Cohen since 2000, testified that he was thoroughly familiar with the businessman’s signature from decades of professional and social interactions.

Detectives investigating Cohen’s death presented Kirundi with a disputed succession document dated April 30, 2019, which claimed to bear Cohen’s signature. After comparing it with genuine files from his office, Kirundi concluded the document was a forgery.

“I must say I was familiar with Tob Cohen’s signature. He had signed so many documents in my office for the period we had been together as a friend and client. I was able to discern that this signature did not belong to Tob Cohen,” he testified.

He pointed specifically to structural differences in the penmanship.

“This particular document, in my view, was not signed by Tob Cohen. One needs only to look at the loops of the signature; they do not follow Tob Cohen’s signature,” Kirundi added.

Investigators revealed that another party had submitted the questioned 2019 document in a separate court proceeding as Cohen’s alleged last will.

Halting the Kitisuru Property Transfer

Kirundi also provided details regarding Cohen’s prime property in Kitisuru, which Cohen initially bought for Ksh1.5 million before developing into his primary home.

In March 2009, Cohen directed the firm to draft conveyancing documents to transfer the property into joint ownership with Sarah. Kirundi advised against the move, noting Sarah already featured as the sole beneficiary in his active will at the time. Cohen initially insisted on proceeding.

However, the transaction stalled following erratic instructions:

• April 7, 2009: Cohen emailed Kirundi to put the transfer on hold.
• Mid-2009: Cohen reversed his decision and directed the firm to complete the process. Lawyers obtained a stamp duty exemption for the transfer documents.
• Pre-Registration: Before officers could lodge the stamped documents with the land registry, Cohen called Kirundi a final time and cancelled the process entirely. The property was never registered under joint ownership.

Kirundi described Cohen as a dynamic, outgoing client who often preferred discussing legal matters over lunch rather than in formal office settings.

“He is a type of client who was social, and sometimes he would call me to have lunch and discuss the matter outside the office. He liked that, gave instructions in a social setup,” he testified.

The trial continues at the Kibera High Court.

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