Police arrest two over Dutchman's murder in Mombasa

Police investigations have revealed that the murder of 55-year-old Herman Rouwenhourst last month in Shanzu, Mombasa, was planned by his wife.

Detectives now say that the wife, Riziki Cherono Ali, stage-managed her kidnapping to make it look like the attackers, after killing Mr Rouwenhourst at Rocco Apartments, tied her to the steering wheel of her vehicle, before dumping her in Serena Beach, within Mombasa County.

The details have emerged after Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers arrested two main suspects tied to the murder; 22-year-old Timothy Omondi Ngoe alias Rashid and Mary Nekesa.

It has also emerged that Ms Cherono had planned to eliminate the man after he notified her of his intention to divorce her.

“However, Cherono did not take the divorce news lying down and hatched a plot to eliminate her husband, with whom they had two children aged 12 and 14,” DCI said. 

In a confession, DCI said that Ms Nekesa disclosed to detectives that a month before the murder, the slain tycoon’s wife had taken Rashid to their home in a recce mission to familiarize himself with the home.

On the day of the murder, police reports had indicated that they had responded to a distress call from a woman and found her hands strapped on the steering wheel of a vehicle near Serena Beach.

The statement added that Ms Cherono told the police that she had been driven to the said place from their apartment by the killers, who also murdered the Apartments night guard night Evans Bambo Bokolo.

But now DCI say that a confession by Ms Nekesa to detectives stated that Ms Cherono had constituted a meeting between the two suspects, who are former managers in one of Rouwenhourt’s hotels. The tycoon owns multiple properties and nightclubs in Mombasa and Kilifi counties.

“To complete the finer details Rashid took photos of the bedroom where the deceased was later found dead. He was promised a handsome pay upon completion of the task from money that the deceased had kept in the safe,” DCI said.

It is alleged that Ms Cherono opened the door, letting Rashid and other suspects stage a cold-blooded murder and later breaking into the safe to steal Sh3 million.

Two weeks after the murder, DCI say that Rashid with the proceeds from the crime, acquired a plot at Kiembeni in Mombasa.

“He then constructed a four-roomed house at an estimated cost of over Sh1.5 million and furnished it with newly acquired household’s worth over Sh500,000,” the detectives said.

Some of the other items recovered by detectives from Mr Rashids house included one live 9mm calibre, one bullet head of 9mm calibre, a pair of handcuffs, blood-stained shoes, several mobile phones and SIM cards.

Forensics have also placed Rashid at the scene of the murder in Shanzu and also around Serena., where Ms Cherono and the vehicle were found.

The suspects will be arraigned in court on Monday.