A Kenyan woman has been arrested for masterminding the murder of her wealthy Dutch husband when he announced he wanted a divorce.
Wealthy businessman Herman Rouwenhourst, 55, who lived in Kenya with his wife Riziki Cherono, was found murdered in his apartment in the area of Shanzu in Mombasa on 4th June.
Rouwenhourst, who owned numerous properties and nightclubs in the Kenyan city of Mombasa and nearby areas, was found dead at the property along with his guard Evans Bokoro, 23.
His wife was arrested in connection with her husband’s murder at the end of June.
The local police have now confirmed that they have arrested two other suspects identified as Timothy Omondi Ngoe, nicknamed ‘Rashid’, 22, and Mary Nekesa Ambani, 33, a former manager at one of Rouwenhourst’s hotels.
The police said the victim was found tied and gagged on his bed with multiple injuries to his head. His guard suffered a similar death.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), a preliminary investigation showed that the victim had recently told his wife about his intention to divorce her due to their constant arguing.
Cherono did not take the news well and subsequently plotted to kill her wealthy Dutch husband, according to the DCI.
The couple had two children together, now aged 14 and 12.
The DCI said in a statement: “On 10th May 2021, she (Cherono) constituted a meeting between the two suspects Rashid and Nekesa, a former manager in one of Rouwenhourst’s hotels.
“In a chilling confession to detectives on how they planned and executed the murder, Nekesa disclosed that Cherono had earlier taken Rashid to their home on a recce mission to familiarise himself with the home.
“To complete the finer details into the murder plot, 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 kept in a safe in the couple’s bedroom.”
The police said that Cherono opened the door to the suspects on the day of the murder before they allegedly carried out the crime and broke into the victim’s safe where they plundered KES 3 million (GBP 20,036).
Two weeks after the murder, Rashid reportedly bought a plot of land in Kiembeni Estate in Mombasa and built a plush four-bedroom house at an estimated cost of KES 1.5 million (GBP 10,020).
He then spent an additional KES 500,000 (GBP 3,340) to furnish the house, all believed to be from the money stolen from the safe, according to local media.
The DCI continued: “Further, detectives recovered one live round of 9mm calibre, one bullet head of 9mm calibre, blood-stained shoes, a pair of handcuffs, several mobile phones and SIM cards.”
The police added that “forensic analysis conducted in our forensic lab placed Rashid at the scene of the murder in Shanzu”.
The suspects will appear in court on Monday.