Dutch businessman Herman Rouwenhorst and his widow, Riziki Ali Cherono, had a tumultuous relationship marked by constant arguments, often in front of their children.
Ms Mary Claire Wanyonyi, a house help, painted a picture of a home plagued by endless conflicts, most of them triggered by Ms Cherono’s choice of friends, which the deceased strongly disapproved of.
“The deceased did not approve of Ms Cherono’s friends. This was a major source of their verbal fights. I witnessed these disagreements firsthand. They argued frequently, sometimes over trivial matters, but mostly because of her friends,” she said.
Testifying before Mombasa High Court Judge Wendy Micheni, Ms Wanyonyi, who has worked for the family since 2018, recounted witnessing the heated exchanges.
According to her, the couple argued at least every three days, with their disputes intensifying after consuming alcohol.
One of the most contentious issues in their relationship revolved around Ms Mary Ambani Nekesa, a close friend of Ms Cherono.
New twist in the murder of Dutch tycoon Herman Rouwenhorst after key suspect in the case set to become a state witness. Ms Mary Nekesa Ambani has agreed to enter into a plea bargain deal with the state to help in unraveling how the macabre murder was planned and executed.
Photo credit: Brian Ocharo I Nation Media Group
Nekesa would later become a central figure in the gruesome murder of the Dutch tycoon, as she admitted under oath before the court.
Ms Wanyonyi recalled an incident in which Nekesa disappeared with Sh50,000, money she had taken under the pretext of remitting employees’ contributions to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
“She signed for the money but never remitted it. She also didn’t return. This incident became another source of constant disputes between the deceased and Ms Cherono. I overheard them arguing loudly about it,” Ms Wanyonyi said.
Nekesa had initially worked in another branch of Rouwenhorst’s businesses but was transferred to Rocco Apartments after her previous workplace closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pasport photo of slain Dutch businessman Herman Rouwenhorst.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
However, Ms Wanyonyi testified that this new placement did not sit well with the deceased.
“He was not happy about it. He did not like her, and he made it known. She eventually disappeared with the money, essentially sacking herself. I only saw her again when the police brought her in to record a statement after Mr Rouwenhorst’s murder,” she said during cross-examination by defence lawyers Jared Magolo and Edwin Mutwiri.
"It was Ms Cherono who introduced me to the deceased. I later became their house help. If I needed anything from her late husband, I would speak to the widow," she said while being guided by State counsel Ngiri Wangui.
Ms Wanyonyi revealed that the couple’s home was not just a residence but a compound with two distinct sections—the main house and a separate three-storey apartment complex.
“These apartments were used by guests from the Netherlands who would stay for days before returning to their country,” she explained.
Detectives investigate at Roco Apartments in Shanzu, Mombasa, where Dutch national Herman Rouwenhorst was brutally murdered along with a night security guard, in this photo taken on June 6, 2021.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
However, one particular room remained unoccupied, reserved for the deceased’s brother, William Rouwenhorst, who would use it whenever he visited Kenya.
As a house help, Ms Wanyonyi’s primary role was to care for the children, prepare their meals, and ensure their well-being. Among the children she cared for were two belonging to the deceased’s brother, William.
Once the children left for school, she would engage in other household chores within the apartment complex. Despite the tension between the couple, she described them as generally happy but prone to explosive arguments.
She and her colleagues were laid off in 2020 when Covid-19 hit. She said the foreign employer had promised to rehire her once things returned to normal. However, she waited for his call in vain.
Slain Dutch businessman Herman Rouwenhorst.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
In a dramatic turn of events, following Mr Rouwenhorst’s brutal murder, Ms Wanyonyi was unexpectedly called back to work by his brother, William.
“All the employees had been laid off in 2020 due to Covid-19, but after Mr Rouwenhorst’s murder, his brother called me. He told me that they had previously discussed my return and had agreed that I should resume my duties to take care of the children. I returned to the house immediately after he was killed,” she said.
She remains in the household to this day, fulfilling her duties under a cloud of sorrow, the memories of the slain businessman still fresh in her mind.
“I was not particularly close to Nekesa, so I cannot describe her behaviour in detail. All I know is that she was one of Cherono’s friends, and the deceased never liked her,” she said.
Ms Wanyonyi was testifying in a case where Ms Cherono and Timothy Omondi Ngowe, alias Rashid, alias Tony Ochieng, alias Mohamed Khalid, are charged with the murder of Mr Rouwenhorst and his security guard, Evans Pole Bokoro.
Riziki Ali Cherono (left ) and Timothy Omondi Ngowe appear before Mombasa High Court on March 10, 2025. They are charged with the murder of Herman Rouwenhorst on June 4, 2021 at Roco Apartments in Shanzu Mombasa.
Photo credit: Brian Ocharo | Nation Media Group
The two allegedly killed their victims on June 4, 2021 at the Rocco Apartments in Shanzu.
Nekesa had also been charged with murder but later entered a plea bargain with the State, leading to a reduced sentence. Her testimony as a State witness helped unravel how the murder was orchestrated and executed.
Nekesa pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter, with the court hearing that she unlawfully killed Mr Rouwenhorst and Mr Bokoro.
She narrated how Ms Cherono helped her access an unoccupied house within the apartments before aiding Omondi and his group in smoothly entering the premises in the dead of night to eliminate the Dutch businessman.
According to Nekesa, who was part of the planners, Bokoro was the first casualty of the deadly attack, which had been meticulously planned by Ms Cherono in a series of meetings conducted at different locations in Bamburi.
Last year, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison for two counts of manslaughter. However, her three-year stint in remand since her arrest in June 2021 may lead to an early release.
She will serve a seven-year custodial sentence, followed by three years on probation.
On Wednesday, the court was shown items recovered from Mr Omondi’s newly built house in Kisauni.
“I am showing the court these photos because we suspect that all these items were purchased using proceeds of crime,” said Mr Ngiri.
The items included photos of a newly built and furnished house, a rope suspected to have been used to tie the deceased, a black mask, and other pieces of evidence, which included new household items such as electronics.
