Wife planned murder of her Dutch tycoon husband, court told
Courts
By
Kelvin Karani
| Oct 22, 2025
The lead investigator into the death of the late Mombasa Dutch tycoon, Herman Rowenhorst, on Tuesday said his widow, Riziki Cherono, was the planner and the mastermind of his murder.
Chief Inspector Raphael Wanjohi unmasked what he termed as initial lies and confessions from people allegedly involved in the act that placed Ms Cherono at the scene of the crime.
In his testimony, the officer told the Mombasa High Court that the late Rowenhorst did not have a chance to fight back, as he was attacked and killed while asleep in his house.
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Wanjohi told Justice Wendy Micheni that Cherono could not look them in the eye when asked about the whereabouts of her husband when the police found her allegedly dumped by her abductors.
The investigator said the widow acted weird anytime they asked her about her late husband and kept lighting a cigarette in what they suspect was an attempt to evade the question.
Rouwenhorst was killed in his house along the Bamburi-Mtamboni road on June 4, 2021. His body was found lying on his bed with hands and legs tied with a rope.
Police said the body had deep cuts on the head and the back. He was killed alongside his guard, identified as Evans, who succumbed to head injuries inflicted by a blunt object.
The deceased had properties in Mombasa's Utange, Bamburi, Mtamboni and Mtwapa in Kilifi. He also operated entertainment joints in Mombasa and Kilifi.
During the investigation, Ms Cherono told sleuths that six hooded armed men stormed their house on the day of the murder at about midnight and ordered her out of the house.
She alleged that some of the men kidnapped her and ordered that she drive for about 500 metres along the Mombasa-Malindi Road before they tied her to the car's steering wheel.
Cherono claimed she learnt about her husband's death the next morning after neighbours untied her. Later, police arrested Cherono and charged her with the murder.
On Tuesday, the Chief Inspector told the court that everything was planned at Edmond Hotel amongst Cherono, Mary Nekesa and Timothy Omondi, another accused person.
The lead investigator told the high court that after the meeting on how to execute their mission, Timothy and Riziki left to survey the scene.
He told Justice Micheni that it was Mary who facilitated Timothy's entry into the compound at Rocco's apartment, after she had earlier been helped inside the compound by Cherono.
The officer was testifying in a matter where Cherono and Timothy Omondi Ngowe are charged with killing Dutch tycoon Rowenhorst Herman and his security guard, Evans Pole Bokoro.
While brushing off a statement by Cherono that they had been attacked, Chief Inspector Wanjohi told the high court that the main entrance door was not broken and there was no alarm raised during the alleged attack, describing it purely as an inside job that Cherono was fully aware of.
“Riziki knew the house was fitted with functional alarms with three buttons, while one of the buttons is always in the custody of the security guard.
"If it was an attack, as she alleged, the panic button was at her reach, and she ought to have pressed the panic button,” Chief Inspector Wanjohi told Justice Micheni.
The police officer told the court that at the scene, the deceased was in his bedroom, asleep, and never struggled with the alleged attackers.
He further told the high court that the master bedroom was not broken into, meaning that the attacker managed to access the master bedroom with the help of an insider, Cherono.
Rouwenhorst immigrated to Kenya six years ago and had two children with Cherono. He had three other children in the Netherlands from a previous relationship.
The matter will continue for hearing on Friday, October 24, 2025.