The planned burial ceremony of the murdered Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen will be held on Tuesday afternoon after two Jewish religious priests were unavailable to make the mandatory 10 in accordance to the Jewish religious practices.
The burial was postponed at the last minute despite all other necessary arrangements having been put in place including physical presence of Cohen’s remanded wife Sarah Wairimu Cohen and deceased’s brother Bernard Cohen.
Two additional priests confirmed they will be available tomorrow at 2.30pm and a Chief Rabbi to perform the burial rites.
“This is a contest between the African Kenya customs versus the Jewish customs. There is the way they do it. A brother buries a brother. Bernard, the brother to my good friend Cohen is here he is in charge. Cohen will be buried tomorrow at 2.30pm. There will be no monkey business.
This was an anomaly occasioned by religious practices. Ten priests and a Rabbi must be present.” Cohen’s family lawyer Danstan Omari said.
One Rabbi was yesterday afternoon traveling from Kisumu to Nairobi while the other flew from Mombasa to Nairobi.
Wairimu’s lawyer Philip Murgor said the burial ceremony is a joint undertaking between his client Wairimu and Gabrie Van Straten, Cohen’s sister as per the burial permit and consent order registered in court.
Today afternoon, he sought variation of the court order to have Wairimu allowed to attend the burial today afternoon.
She arrived at the Jewish Cemetery along Wangari Mathai Road at 12.45pm yesterday under heavy police escort from Prisons Department.
“Point of correction, this is not a burial by either Gabrie or Bernard alone, this is a joint burial by Sarah as the wife and as we came today or before we came today it was Sarah and Gabrie. The burial permit has been taken out in the name of both of them. It is a joint exercise in line with the Jewish rites,” Murgor said.
Gabrie and her husband Roy Van Straten left the country on Friday evening after Cohen’s will was opened at Chege Kirundi and Company Advocates that dispossessed Sarah of any inheritance.
Their lawyer Cliff Ombeta said they had other compelling issues to attend to since they have been in the country since investigations started.
