How foreigners are dying at the hands of local lovers

The murder of Dutch tycoon Herman Rouwenhorst exposes the long line of foreigners who have died in the hands of their lovers, with greed for wealth being the motive.

On Tuesday, the High Court in Mombasa heard how Rouwenhorst’s wife orchestrated his death and paid Sh1 million to his killers.

Riziki Cherono was charged with killing her husband and his security guard, Evans Boroko, at their palatial apartments in Shanzu on June 4, 2021.

On July 30 2022,  the court heard that Cherono was also married to William Rouwenhorst, (the deceased’s brother), according to documents tabled at the Mombasa High Court.

Investigations officer Reuben Mwaniki said that Cherono claims to have been married to the deceased (Herman) but a marriage certificate shows she was also married to William and sired children with both brothers, according to birth certificates produced in court.

The officer said that Cherono planned, procured and facilitated the perpetrators who killed the husband for her own benefit.

The two brothers are tycoons with vast investment in entertainment and real estate in Mombasa.

It is alleged that Cherono gave a key to the killers to access the house on the material date.

However, she denied the charges and claimed that she was kidnapped by two men who forced her to drive away from her house.

Cherono’s children, who are under witness protection, said their mother was mad that their dad wanted to divorce her.

While testifying against her mother on April 11 2022, (WD), a minor who is under state protection, said that Cherono was so mad that her uncle wanted to divorce her.

Like Herman, many more murders have been recorded at the Coast Region with a range of civil cases of property disputes and child support between foreigners and their local lovers playing centre stage.

The death of Gregory John Kilgour, a 66-year-old Canadian on January 2025 in his house at Bamburi raised questions after reports alleged that he died from masturbation while watching pornography on his laptop.

His 33-year-old wife Judith Odour told police that she found Kilgour naked, with his left hand holding his penis and the laptop playing pornographic videos.

Odour told police that they had not had sex with Kilgour for a year and slept in separate rooms due to trust issues.

Police found the lifeless body lying on the bed when they entered the bedroom.

The murder of 78-year-old German tourist Deterring Herman is yet another case of foreigners losing their lives as a result of their wealth.

Herman was found dead under unclear circumstances at his hotel room in Malindi town in January 2020.

Herman had reportedly retired to bed with his girlfriend after night party.

His girlfriend escaped after the incident, with the police citing her as prime suspect.

In September 2017, a Swiss national was murdered and his body dumped in the Indian Ocean by unknown assailants.

Mocer Max had stayed in the coastal town of Mtwapa for over 10 years and detectives he might have been killed due to his vast wealth.

A month before Max’ murder, a Swiss couple had been murdered and their bodies dumped by the roadside in Kiembeni, Kisauni Sub- County.

Werner Borner Paul, 60 and Marrianne Borner, 70 had just landed at Moi International Airport on the night of August 20 when they were accosted while entering their compound.

The murder of Dutch national Jacobus Van Der Goes in January 5, 2016 adds to the long list. His body was dumped in a septic tank at his residence in Nyali, Mombasa.Days later, police arrested three suspects, among them his gardener.

The gardener was arrested after he made several cash withdrawals from Equity Bank in Mombasa and Kericho branches using the deceased’s bank cards.

In 2015, an Italian tourist, Cartei Paolo, aged 57 killed himself by jumping from a four-storey building because of financial problems.

55-year-old Klause Hannes from Germany died on September 11, 2011 after suffering from mental issues.

On November 26, 2019, Paul Torf, a German ex-soldier mysteriously disappeared from his home in Mwambao Bati village, Shimoni in Kwale County.

Torf, who then lived on an acre piece of land, was kidnapped by four people in front of his family, never to be seen again.

In 2019, Wolfgang Fischer, a German national, was found dead in his home in Kibundani area of Diani, Ukunda town with a suicide note addressed to the Officer Commanding Diani Police Station.

Fischer, who was a civilian firearm holder, allegedly shot himself in the mouth, with the bullet exiting at the back of the head.

The 82-year-old Fischer, who had been residing in Diani for the last 30 years, protested a number of issues, among them wrangles with his in-laws over property, his deteriorating health condition and how he lost prime plots to people he knew.

“The man alleged that he had not been happy for the 30 years since he entered into marriage as he has been having wrangles with his in laws over property. He also mentioned that he has suffered a lot due to prostate cancer and his efforts to seek medication was difficult as he could not access his own money, “a police source said.