Two former hotel workers on Wednesday spilled the beans that Dutch billionaire Tob Cohen danced and sang popular country music on the night of July 19, 2019, before he was reported missing a few days later and thereafter his body found in a septic tank at his city palatial residence.
Mr Michael Wainaina Karuthai and Aggrey Makhala, former employees of Plums Hotel in Westlands, told Kibera High Court judge Justice Diana Kavedza that Cohen went to the hotel around 12:30am on July 19, 2019.
They sold him drinks. He danced and sang Ken Rodgers' songs before leaving for his residence alone.
Mr Karuthai, a former waiter said the deceased businessman was jovial and extremely happy when he checked into the hotel.
They said Cohen took to the dance floor and picked the microphone and sang popular country music of Ken Rodgers.
Both Karuthai and Makhala said the deceased tycoon left the dance floor after singing loudly and joyously.
He also announced through the hotels
“I remember that on July 19,2019 I was at Plums Hotel where I was employed as a waiter when Cohen came to the hotel around 12.30am, He walked straight to the barman and asked to be served Jameson,” Mr Karuthai recalled.
The waiter who was testifying in the case where Sarah Wairimu, Cohen wife is charged with murdering him on the night of July 19 and 20, 2019 told the judge “Cohen was jovial and very happy.”
Added he, “that night Cohen was jovial and happy. I had never seen him that happy.”
The former waiter said Cohen was joined at the counter where he was imbibing Whisky by a lady friend identified as Margerate Wanjiu who was also served with drinks.
Wanjiru left him to dance. Two other ladies joined Cohen and continued drinking.
The judge heard Wanjiru quit dancing and joined Cohen and the two ladies whom she quarreled.
“Cohen left the three ladies and proceeded to the dance floor requested for the Microphone then happily sang country music up to past 2am then announced that he was living and should not be followed by anybody,” Mr Karuthai recalled.
However, as he walked to his car, Wanjiru followed him and there was an altercation between them.
A bouncer at the hotel by the name Hilary intervened but she accosted him, scratched him and tore his shirt.
Cohen left the hotel premises then drove away.
Karuthai said days later he saw a television broadcast that Cohen was missing followed by another that his body had been recovered from a septic tank at his palatial city home.
Mr Makhala, a former barman at Plums Hotel said it is him who serve Cohen with Whisky on July 19, 2019.
He corroborated the testimony of Karuthai that Cohen was jovial and happy that night.
A former chief security officer at Muthaiga Golf Club (MGC) Mr Dennis Kegona told the judge that Cohen went to the club where he was a member and a Director around 6pm.
He was served drinks until 10.08 pm then left.
Mr Kegona, now a businessman at Kisii said Cohen drunk Jameson and Jackdaniel then left.
He said Cohen was member number C038 at MGC.
The three witnesses were cross-examined by defense lawyer Senior Counsel Pravin Bowry.
Sarah Cohen has denied she murdered Cohen.
The judge has so far received testimony from 16 witnesses among them a former worker Mathew Muiruri Kinyanjui, who was also Cohen's confidant.
He told the judge on June 22, 2026, that Sarah had instructed three employees to lie to police and anybody who would ask them where Cohen was to say “he had travelled to Thailand for medication.”
Sarah has been charged with murdering Tob Cohen, her husband on July 19/20, 2019 at Lower Kabete area within Nairobi County.
Cohen, who hailed from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, was a wealthy businessman living in Kenya for at least 30 years, holding various positions including that of being the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Philips Group of Companies (East Africa).
His lifeless body was found in an underground septic tank at his residential home along Farasi Lane in Mugomoini Close, Lower Kabete after a long period of search by both family members and Kenyan police.
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