Dutch businessman Herman Rouwenhorst had altered the security arrangements at his residence just days before he was brutally murdered at the Rocco Apartments in Shanzu, Mombasa, a court has been told.
The High Court in Mombasa heard that Rouwenhorst had dismissed the security guard manning the gate to his residence, which also housed tenants, for negligence after he found him sleeping.
“The deceased found the previous security guard sleeping at night. He then decided to relieve him of his duties and tasked me with finding a replacement,” testified Mr Hamisi Bambo, the caretaker of the premises.
Bambo, who had worked for the Dutch tycoon for a decade, stated that the premises remained unguarded at night for only a few days before a replacement was found.
Through a friend’s recommendation, he hired Mr Evans Pole Bokoro, who was also killed in the attack, to take over as the night guard.
For Bokoro, securing the job marked the end of his employment search, a moment of relief and hope.
Like many others, he had dreams to fulfill, and this opportunity offered him a chance to build a future.
However, unknown to him, danger lurked in the shadows. His life was about to be cut short before he could even receive his first salary.
Fate, in conspiracy with criminal minds, had sealed his destiny. He had only worked for three nights before tragedy struck on the fourth.
Riziki Cherono Ali, who is suspected of killing her husband, Dutch national Herman Rouwenhorst (inset), when she appeared before a Mombasa court on September 16, 2021.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
According to Mr Bambo, the Dutchman employed Bokoro on May 31, 2021, and he reported for duty that very evening at 6pm.
“I handed him the keys and left for home. I instructed him on what to do in case of an emergency and how to raise the alarm,” Bambo recalled while testifying before the court, guided by State Counsel Ngiri Wangui.
The first three nights passed uneventfully. To Bokoro, everything seemed normal and peaceful.
What he did not know was that, elsewhere, a sinister plot was unfolding—one that would make him the first casualty before the ultimate target, Rouwenhorst, was eliminated.
Evidence presented in court suggests that the masterminds behind the murder were within the very homestead Bokoro had been hired to guard.
On the evening of June 3, 2021, Bambo handed over security duties to Bokoro as usual.
“At around 3pm, Mr Rouwenhorst left home as usual. I opened the gate for him. He had a routine of leaving at that time and returning later, often slightly drunk. His wife, Riziki Ali Cherono, was at home that day,” Bambo told Justice Wendy Micheni.
As for the new guard, he did not know that with each passing hour, he was inching closer to his death.
In his mind, he probably had plans for the next morning, errands to run once he completed his shift at 6am.
Less than five hours before daybreak, a woman later identified as Mary Ambani Nekesa arrived at the gate and told Bokoro that she had a male visitor who needed to be let in.
Court records show that because Bokoro and Nekesa were acquainted, he did not refuse the request.
The male visitor was later identified as Timothy Omondi Ngowe, alias Rashid, alias Tony Ochieng, alias Mohamed Khalid.
The court heard that Omondi was not alone. Two other men were hiding nearby, awaiting instructions.
Evidence tabled before the court revealed that Nekesa and Omondi proceeded to an unoccupied room within the premises, where they allegedly laced meat with poison intended for the security dogs to incapacitate them.
The court was told that Rouwenhorst had reserved this particular room for a friend who lived in Europe but occasionally visited Kenya for holidays.
The friend had last occupied the room in January 2021, and Rouwenhorst always kept the key.
Afterwards, Omondi reportedly left the room, concealing a metal bar beneath his jacket. About 45 minutes later, Bokoro lay lifeless, succumbing to his injuries.
“He died the following morning as we were rushing him to the hospital,” Bambo said.
Mr Bambo was testifying in a case where Cherono and Omondi were charged with the murder of Rouwenhorst and Bokoro.
The two allegedly killed their victims on June 4, 2021, at the Rocco Apartments in Shanzu.
Ms Nekesa had also been charged with murder but later entered a plea bargain with the State, leading to a reduced sentence.
In her confession, Nekesa admitted to facilitating the entry of hired assassins into Rouwenhorst’s house under the cover of night.
She further testified that Ms Cherono had assisted in hiding her in the unoccupied room before she (Nekesa) later helped smuggle the assailants into the deceased’s homestead.
Once inside, the attackers overpowered Mr Rouwenhorst and brutally assaulted him, leaving him unconscious.
On Monday, a police officer who was the first to respond to a distress call from Ms Cherono, who was at the time pretending to be a victim of a robbery, said he found the woman near the Pride Inn Hotel entrance, some 300 meters from the beach.
According to the officer, Ms Cherono claimed that gunmen had broken into their home and forced her to drive to the location at gunpoint.
“She told me that there were five attackers, but only two had forced her to drive. One was seated in the front passenger seat while the other was in the back,” he testified while being cross-examined by defence lawyer Jared Magolo.
The officer said Ms Cherono also provided descriptions of the alleged gunmen, stating that they had demanded money before attacking.
He then drove with her back to their residence, where they discovered Mr Rouwenhorst’s lifeless body lying in a pool of blood.
“When we arrived at their home, Ms Cherono asked the children where their father was. They replied that he was inside his room. The children had been locked inside another room with a glass door—I could see them through it,” he said.
Upon entering the bedroom, they found the scene in disarray.
“Everything was scattered. The white man (Rouwenhorst) was lying on his back, bound at the legs and mouth. A maroon pillow was soaked in blood, and there were blood splatters all around. His chin was severely deformed, particularly on the right side. Ms Cherono burst into tears and left the room,” he recalled.
The officer then informed his superior, who arrived with a team of investigators. The case was subsequently taken over by the homicide unit.
