KAMPALA – Another forensic report has revealed that blood found at the scene where businessman Henry Katanga was killed belonged to his wife Molly Katanga.
The report, presented in court on Wednesday, corroborates earlier testimony by police doctor Andrew Mubiru that the majority of the blood found at the scene matched Molly Katanga.
According to the report, the blood samples were collected from the scene and analyzed, revealing that they belonged to Molly Katanga. This new evidence raises fresh questions about Molly Katanga’s involvement in the murder.
Police doctor Andrew Mubiru had earlier testified that all blood samples taken from the bedroom—excluding those found on the bed—matched Molly Katanga. The findings suggest that Molly, who was found unconscious and severely injured at the home that morning, suffered significant blood loss at the scene.
The prosecution has presented digital evidence, including images and videos, retrieved from a device linked to the case.
Police forensic analyst Enock Kanene testified that investigators had recovered 13 images showing blood-stained floors, a selfie of a person in a bloodied shirt, and three short videos recorded at 9:41am on the day of Katanga’s death.
However, Kanene admitted that 10 out of 19 electronic devices seized from the Katanga home could not be accessed due to technical failures, raising concerns about gaps in the evidence.
Events on November 2, 2023
According to the CCTV footage, the fateful day began like any other.
The footage showed the house helps waking up around 6 am to carry out their routine chores. A young lady dressed in nightwear was seen heading to open the kitchen door for a male house help residing in the boys’ quarters.
The male house help then proceeded to the sink area to start his work.
Shortly after 7 am, the camera in the parking yard captured shamba boy George Amanyire, one of the five suspects charged in connection with Katanga’s murder, washing one of the cars.
Suddenly, Amanyire stopped washing and ran toward the direction of the main house.
“My Lord, at around 7:12 am, an individual was seen cleaning a car on the camera named ‘Car Parking.’ At 7:13 am, Denise Nayebare made a call to Martha (Nkwanzi, one of Katanga’s daughters and also a suspect). At 7:14 am, something caught Amanyire’s attention, and he ran off, leaving the car washing behind,” Kanene explained in court.
“He ran through the kitchen, where the house help was still working, though seemingly paying attention to something happening upstairs. Amanyire entered the kitchen and was joined by this individual before both ran toward the stairs,” Kanene continued.
However, the CCTV cameras failed to capture any activity beyond the kitchen or around the stairs, and footage stopped at the main gate.
CCTV System Shutdown
The 10th prosecution witness testified that shortly after 7 am, the entire CCTV system shut down, indicating someone had switched it off.
“The footage resumed around 8 am. The NVR (Network Video Recorder) was switched off at 7:18 am and was only switched back on after about an hour. Therefore, any events that occurred during this period weren’t captured on the footage,” the witness said.
When the CCTV cameras were back on, they showed the house helps continuing their chores, including mopping blood stains in the kitchen.
According to the witness, everything seemed normal.
The footage also showed Charles Otai, one of the five suspects, as the first person to respond to the incident at about 9:30 am.
When he arrived at the main gate, he was seen on a phone call, and the gate was opened shortly thereafter.
“He was the first person to respond to the house at 9:30 am. Going back to the call records, it was Charles Otai who had called Patricia, and they were in the same location, Mbuya Hill,” Kanene testified.
Further analysis of the footage revealed that Amanyire, the shamba boy, carried a small, brand-new mattress from the boys’ quarters to the kitchen.
It was also shown that he had changed clothes, discarding a blood-stained checked shirt, which he had worn earlier and taken a selfie in, and replacing it with something clean. The blood-stained shirt was found on the boys’ quarters verandah.
At 10:37 am, the first police officer was captured arriving at the main gate.
He was soon joined by a female officer, who, according to the forensics examiner, was not in police uniform but wore maroon-like clothing. The police officer, identified as Ogwang, was seen making a phone call, and shortly after, the gate was opened for access.
At this point, Patricia Kakwanza, one of the suspects, was also seen on camera, walking around the homestead with the female police officer.
“It was only after the police officer arrived that the CCTV cameras recorded several individuals in different security uniforms accessing Katanga’s residence, leading to multiple interactions,” the witness said.
At 11:24 am, an A-Plus van arrived and stayed until 1:25 pm, when it took away what were believed to be the remains of Henry Katanga.
A group of defense lawyers will begin cross-examining the expert witness tomorrow morning about his evidence concerning the images captured on the CCTV cameras and the mobile phone forensic findings that detail the movements of some of the accused on the fateful day.
Molly Katanga, who has been in Luzira Prison since her arrest, is accused of murdering her husband on November 2, 2023. Her defense team has argued that she was incapacitated due to injuries sustained on the same day and could not have committed the crime.
The defense has also questioned the legality of the digital evidence, arguing that it was obtained unlawfully and handled improperly. The prosecution has prayed for the court to allow the submission of the digital evidence, but the defense has strongly contested its admissibility.
The trial, which has been marked by delays and controversy, continues to captivate public attention due to the high-profile nature of the case.
Molly Katanga, who attended court from Luzira Prison after her third bail request was denied two weeks ago, is jointly charged with her two daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanzi, as well as the family domestic servant George Amanyire and nurse Charles Otai.
The co-accused face charges related to being accessories after the fact of murder.
Judge Rosette Comfort Kania adjourned the trial to Thursday.
According to the prosecution, after an alleged domestic dispute between the Katangas, Henry Katanga succumbed to gunshot injuries discharged by his pistol number UG1622200061CZ99 compact on 2nd November 2023.
Molly Katanga was arrested for murder following days at the International Hospital Kampala where she was being treated for grave injuries sustained from the alleged fight. A report issued by government medical experts indicated fractures on her hands, metacarpal bones, and an amputated finger.
On January 24th, Molly was arraigned in court in a wheelchair and remanded to Luzira Prison.
The prosecution alleges that on November 2, 2023, at Mbuya Chwa II Road in Nakawa division, Kampala city with malice aforethought, Molly killed her husband in cold blood.
On the other hand, defense lawyers paint a picture of Molly Katanga as a victim, of domestic violence and a tragic turn of events, not to mention of a hurried prosecution eager to pin the blame without a thorough and fair investigation.
Molly is jointly charged with her two daughters, Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanza, who face lesser charges of destroying evidence and being accessories after the fact of murder.
Other suspects include Charles Otai, a medic who was the first to arrive at the Katanga residence on the fateful day, and George Amanyire, the shamba boy at the Katanga home during the incident.All of Molly’s co-accused are out on bail.
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