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Family of murdered Dutch tycoon fights widow over Cohen name

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Ms Sarah Wairimu Kamotho during an October 2019 court appearance in Nairobi. PHOTO | DENNIS ONSONGO | NMG

The widow of murdered Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen is fighting off attempts by his family to stop her from using his name to identify herself in a court suit she is battling her estranged in-laws over control of the multimillion-shilling estate.

Ms Sarah Wairimu Kamotho Cohen says being wife of the late tycoon she is entitled to use his name as identity both when he was alive and posthumous.

In her response to an application by Mr Tob’s sister Ms Gabrielle Hannah van Straten seeking to force her to drop the name Cohen, the widow says the application is an attempt to divorce her from her husband posthumously.

The name fight is part of the battle over a Sh700 million estate and Ms Kamotho, who was left empty-handed by her husband in his will, has launched a fresh fight for a Sh500 million home in Nairobi’s Kitisuru, a Porsche and two dogs.

Mr Cohen died in Nairobi on unknown date between July 20 and September 13, 2019. Ms Kamotho is accused of killing the businessman.

She claims it is not the first time the Cohen family is trying to engineer a divorce, arguing that her sister-in-law used to introduce the businessman to white women during their marriage.

“I am not at all surprised by Ms Van Straten’s endeavor to bar me from using my late husband’s name, which is an attempt to posthumously divorce me from him,” she says denying that she had a strained relationship with Mr Tob.

She adds that she was married to Mr Tob for 29 years and he used to introduce her as Mrs Cohen.

In the court papers, the widow has disclosed that during her marriage to Mr Tob the sister-in-law was pursuing their separation and she used to refer to her as “negro”.

“Ms Van Straten ...who refers to me as a “negro”, often interfered by attempting to introduce him to women of Caucasian descent who she deemed to be more preferable,” claims Ms Kamotho.

In the succession case, Ms Kamotho is seeking to stop the transfer of the properties to Mr Cohen’s siblings.

Mr Cohen gave the Sh500 million matrimonial home, which has been the centre of the dispute, to Ms Straten and her children.

He also willed 50 percent of his estate to Ms Straten, 25 percent to herchildren and another 25 percent to his elder brother Bernard Cohen.

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