This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On October 4, 2019, Sarah Wairimu was formally charged with the murder of Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen, after spending over a month in custody.
Wairimu was arraigned before Justice Stellah Mutuku, who ruled that her lawyer Philip Murgor could continue to represent her, despite objections from the prosecution and Cohen's family lawyer Cliff Ombetta.
When the charge was read out to her, Wairimu entered a plea of not guilty, with the prosecution indicating that she committed the murder alongside 20 others who were not before court.
Justice Mutuku found that Murgor's resignation as a public prosecutor meant there would be no conflict of interest, as argued by Cohen's family lawyer Ombeta and the prosecution.
The prosecution was given until the close of business on Thursday to ensure that vulnerable witnesses were put under witness protection, enabling parties to argue Wairimu's application to be released on bail the following day.
Just moments after Wairimu's case was adjourned, her alleged lover Peter Karanja and ex-husband to Gilgil MP Martha Wangari were arraigned over Cohen's murder.
However, Karanja did not plead to the charge after the prosecution requested he undergo a mental assessment to determine his ability to stand trial.
