Slain Dutchman Tob Cohen’s Burial Postponed Due to Jewish Priests’ Quorum Hitch

The burial of slain Dutch tycoon Tob Cohen, which was set to take place at the Jewish cemetery along Wangari Maathai Road in Nairobi on Monday has been deferred to Tuesday. 

In line with the Jewish religion, the deceased is supposed to be buried in the presence of 10 priests and a Rabbi but organizers managed to get only eight priests.

The interment was rescheduled to Tuesday, 2:30 pm to allow planners to raise the required number of Jewish priests.

Sources said Cohen was high up in the Jewish religious hierarchy and it would take the presentation of 10 priests each with their own verse to bury him, according to Citizen TV.

A Nairobi court had on Monday morning issued orders allowing Cohen’s estranged wife Sarah Wairimu to attend the burial.

Wairimu’s attorney Philip Murgor is expected back in court to seek a fresh order allowing his client to attend Tuesday’s ceremony. She had already arrived for the private ceremony before it was canceled.

Wairimu, who is the prime suspect in the killing of her husband, is remanded at the Lang’ata Women’s Prison.

Cohen’s sister Gabrielle Van Straten returned to the Netherlands on Saturday evening due to what her lawyer Cliff Ombeta called “personal reasons” and will not be attending the burial.

Cohen, who had lived in Kenya for 32 years, was found dead on September 13th and his body dumped inside an underground water tank at his home in Kitisuru, Nairobi. The 71-year-old tour and travel businessman had been missing since July 19th.