A bitter estate and inheritance dispute has taken center stage in the trial of Sarah Wairimu Kamotho, with her late husband's lawyer testifying about a succession of shifting wills that ultimately disinherited her and her daughter.
Testifying before Justice Diana Kavedza at the Kibera High Court, veteran advocate Geoffrey Chege Kirundi revealed he prepared three different wills for Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen before his disappearance in July 2019. Kirundi, who has practiced law for 42 years, said that while Cohen's initial will left his estate to Wairimu and her daughter, a subsequent revision removed the daughter, and a final will left them nothing at all.
Instead, the final document allocated Cohen's vast wealth, including his palatial Kitisuru residence, to his sister Gabriella and her son. Kirundi read the final will at his Bruce House Chambers in the presence of relatives and lawyers Danstan Omari and Cliff Ombeta after Cohen was buried under Jewish rites at a city cemetery.
The court also heard sharp challenges regarding document authenticity, with Kirundi questioning a separate succession document dated April 30, 2019. Having known Cohen since 2000 and grown familiar with his signature, Kirundi told detectives and the court that the loops and handwriting patterns on the 2019 document did not belong to the businessman.
