Lead image for Cohen murder case: Appeal Court rejects Sarah Wairimu's fresh bid for bail.
Businesswoman Sarah Wairimu Cohen will remain in custody as she awaits trial over the murder of her husband, Dutch businessman Tob Cohen, after the Court of Appeal declined to release her on bail.
Instead, a bench of three judges directed that her appeal against the refusal to grant bail be heard on a priority basis, saying there was no reason it should not be fast-tracked. The murder trial is pending before the Kibera High Court.
The bench, comprising Justices Patrick Kiage, Jamila Mohammed and Weldon Korir on July 31 2026 ruled that granting Wairimu bail before hearing her appeal would amount to deciding the appeal in advance.
Wairimu is accused of murdering her husband, Dutch businessman and tycoon Tob Cohen, on the night of July 19 and 20, 2019. She has denied the charge and is on trial before the High Court in Kibera.
Read: Stunned silence in court as video of Tob Cohen crime scene shown
The latest ruling is another setback in her long-running battle to regain her freedom after repeated attempts to secure bail.
Court records show Ms Wairimu is being held at Lang'ata Women's Remand Prison pending the hearing of the murder case. She had previously made several unsuccessful applications for bail before the trial court, the latest being dismissed by High Court Judge Diana Kavedza on July 8, 2025.
The High Court declined to release her after finding there were compelling reasons to keep her in custody. Among the reasons cited were fears that she could interfere with witnesses, tamper with the crime scene and flee the country before the conclusion of the trial.