• The widow told investigators that the killers had left with her phone.
• Investigators are analysing data and phone records of the deceased.
Image: THE STAR
A team of homicide investigators and cybercrime analysts from Nairobi has been deployed to investigate the murder of Dutchman Herman Rouwenhorst.
Rouwenhorst was found dead on Friday in his apartment in Shanzu, Mombasa. His hands and legs were tied using a rope, and the mouth gagged. He was 55.
Regional police boss Paul Ndambuki told the Star the homicide investigators and cybercrime analysts are carrying out joint investigations with their counterparts in Mombasa to unravel the murder.
He said investigators have yet to crack any leads, but are optimistic they will have something by the end of the week.
“Our investigators are analysing data and phone records of the deceased which were recovered at the scene,” Ndambuki said.
The police boss said they have not recovered the phone belonging to widow Riziki Cherono, but they are tracing it.
Ndambuki said Cherono told investigators that the attackers took off with her phone, but left behind those belonging to Rouwenhorst’s and the security guard. She said she picked them and hid them in her pocket.
Widow Cherono is said to have been found by passers-by in a vehicle with her hands tightly strapped to the steering wheel.
“She alleged that she was driven in her car to the place from their apartment,” a police report filed at Bamburi police station under OB 6/4/6/2021 reads.
Officers untied and accompanied her to the apartment called Rocco, where they found the body of Rouwenhorst on the bed.
A guard identified only as Evans was also found injured at the residence. He succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at the Coast General Hospital.
Rouwenhorst owned numerous entertainment clubs within Mombasa.
Ndambuki said investigators will look through Rouwenhorst's businesses and accounts to check if they are in any way linked to the murder.
“We will also be carrying out a postmortem so that we can obtain more evidence,” he said.
According to a Dutch publication, the man moved to Kenya six years ago to be with Cherono.
He met and fell in love with Cherono during his holiday in Kenya. The couple had two children together.
Rouwenhorst had three other children from his previous relationship in the Netherlands.
Before moving to Kenya, Rouwenhorst ran a timber company with his brother for 30 years in the Netherlands, but gave up his shares and left for Kenya.
According to his brother, Rouwenhorst lived a good life in Kenya and had no criminal record.
His brother described him as a normal beer lover who enjoyed winding down.
Edited by A.N