A musician who performed at Plums Hotel on the night Tob Cohen was last seen alive told the High Court on Wednesday that the Dutch businessman was "excited" when the band began playing 'Hit the Road Jack', and requested to perform the song himself.
The testimony reflects on a moment of levity captured hours before Cohen disappeared.
Haston Kombe, testifying as the 18th prosecution witness before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court, said the elderly man approached the band as they performed the Ray Charles classic.
"He was excited when the band began to perform the song and requested to perform it," Kombe told the court.
Cohen sang for about five minutes while the crowd cheered, after which the band moved on to another song.
Kombe described the venue's clientele as "high-end" — regular customers of Indian, British and American origin.
He said he could not recall exactly what happened later that night and had no specific recollection of the man's companions.
Asked about Cohen's clothing, Kombe remembered a light-blue jacket and trousers but was uncertain about the shirt colour or whether Cohen wore a tie.
He said he learned through television and radio reports that someone had been murdered.
Kombe was the first of the four witnesses scheduled to testify on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
His account adds to a growing body of testimony reconstructing Cohen's final known movements on the night of July 19-20, 2019.
Earlier this week, Davis Njuguna Kamau, a former Chamber of Commerce chairman, told the court that Sarah Wairimu Cohen had previously confided in him about marital difficulties, alleging Cohen was abusive.
He said he and a friend visited the Lower Kabete home on July 19 after Sarah made a distress call claiming police officers were at the residence harassing her.
Upon arrival, they encountered four men in civilian clothes who identified themselves as officers from Spring Valley Police Station.
Denis Gekona, former chief security officer at Muthaiga Golf Club, produced records confirming Cohen was at the club that day, though the logs did not capture the exact time he left.
Two Plums Hotel employees also testified. Waiter Michael Wainaina Karuthai told the court Cohen was joined by Margaret Wanjiru and two other women, and left the hotel at approximately 1:30am. That was the last time he saw him.
Bartender Aggrey Ingano Mukhalamu corroborated the account, adding that Cohen settled his bill after a minor altercation with Wanjiru, was prevented from leaving with her, and departed between 1:30am and 2am appearing jovial.
The prosecution's case has also been shaped by testimony about the couple's volatile marriage.
A former house worker, identified in court as Chrispinus Chehemi, told the court that Cohen was verbally abusive and a heavy drinker.
Asked by counsel whether Cohen had a "wild temper," Chris replied: "Yes, especially when he was drunk."
“Was he a heavy drinker?” the judge asked.
"Yes. Nothing like I've seen. He would drink a whole mzinga of Red Label by himself with lots of ice, and he was a chain smoker," Chehemi responded.
Chehemi testified that Cohen was abusive to Sarah, and that on their wedding day "he showed true colours and abused even the guests who came from abroad."
He said Sarah would limit Cohen's alcohol because "she knew how he would become after drinking."
The worker recounted one incident in which he heard a commotion and Cohen saying "you're killing me."
He went outside and saw Cohen crying at the stairs and Sarah holding a chair over his head. Prosecution challenged that account of Sarah holding a chair.
Cohen was drunk and unable to defend himself, Chehemi said, adding that he spoke to Sarah and she listened to him.
After Chehemi helped Cohen out of the fight, Cohen tore Sarah's dress and verbally abused her.
During cross-examination, Senior Counsel Pravin Bowry noted that in four statements to the DCI, Chehemi had not mentioned Sarah using a chair. Chehemi replied: "I'm not aware."
He also said he did not record everything "because as a worker you become part of a family and there are things that you accept."
Chehemi was later sacked. He told the court Cohen accused him of disobedience.
He was taken to Spring Valley police station by two men in plainclothes who identified themselves as police, handcuffed, and booked in a cell around 8pm before being released about 10pm. He was never charged.
He said he was asked to sign a letter or Cohen would call the police, and he signed it.
Counsel asked: "So you were sacked when Madam Sarah was not there?"
Chehemi replied: "Yes."
Sarah Wairimu Cohen has denied murdering her husband on the night of July 19-20, 2019.
Cohen's decomposed body was discovered in a septic tank at the couple's Kitisuru home in September 2019, weeks after he was reported missing. The trial continues.
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