COURT - The trial of Molly Katanga, accused of murdering her husband, businessman Henry Katanga, resumed at the High Court in Kampala on Tuesday. During the session, Naome Nyangweso, the deceased’s sister and a key witness for the prosecution, testified that her brother had sustained two bullet wounds—one in the head and another in the thigh—challenging the defense's suggestion that Katanga may have committed suicide.
Defense lawyer Jet Tumwebaze cross-examined Nyangweso about her previous statements, attempting to discredit her testimony. He pointed to a recording in which Nyangweso allegedly said there was no way Katanga could have shot himself, citing his right-handedness and the wound’s location on the left side of his head.
Nyangweso stood by her claim about the two bullet wounds, rejecting Tumwebaze’s suggestion that she fabricated this detail to implicate Molly in the murder. She insisted that her account was truthful, emphasizing that Katanga’s death could not have been a suicide, as one bullet wound might suggest.
In the tense cross-examination, Tumwebaze further questioned Nyangweso about her absence from Katanga's funeral in Nyabushozi and her decision to hold a separate gathering at her mother’s home in Kashari on the same day. He also raised the issue of a prior family suicide, attempting to link Katanga’s death to a history of suicide within the family—a suggestion Nyangweso denied.
At one point, the prosecution, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Samali Wakooli, objected to the defense's line of questioning, arguing that it was hypothetical and beyond Nyangweso’s expertise as a witness. Justice Isaac Muwata supported the objection, agreeing that the witness was not qualified to offer speculative opinions.
The courtroom saw further heated exchanges when Tumwebaze pressed Nyangweso about an alleged visit to George Amanyire, a co-accused domestic worker, in Kigo Prison. Nyangweso admitted to seeing Amanyire during a visit but denied going there specifically to meet him.
Throughout the trial, the state was represented by a robust legal team, including Chief State Attorneys Jonathan Muwaganya and Anna Kiiza. Meanwhile, the defense team included prominent lawyers such as Peter Kabatsi and Mwesigwa Rukutana, who is also closely monitoring the proceedings on behalf of Katanga’s family.
Molly Katanga is being tried alongside her daughters, Patricia Kakwanza and Martha Nkwanzi, as well as Amanyire and Charles Otai, a nursing officer. They are accused of destroying evidence and being accessories to the murder.
The case continues before Justice Muwata as both sides prepare for more intense legal battles in the coming days.
Torch Media Africa
