By Spy Uganda
A police medical report done by police Director of medical services, AIGP Dr.Moses Byaruhanga, tendered in court has dramatically shifted the narrative in the high-profile case of Molly Katanga, widow of businessman Prince Henry Katanga. Far from being a cold-blooded perpetrator, the findings describe her as a victim of gruesome violence that almost took her life.
FULL 5 PAGED POLICE REPORT BY AIGP DR.MOSES BYARUHANGA THAT DESCRIBES MOLLY KATANGA AS VICTIM NOT PERPETRATOR
According to the report signed by Police pathologist Dr. Moses Byaruhanga on 9th November 2023, Molly endured 60 stitches across her scalp, two broken hands fixed with stainless steel rods, a gangrenous finger, deep bruises on both shoulders, and a necrotic patch of scalp.
Doctors attending to her at IHK — Dr. Patrick Ssekimpi (orthopaedic surgeon) and Dr. Justin Orem (neurosurgeon) — concluded the wounds were “DEFENSIVE INJURIES”. The smashed bones on the backs of her hands and wrists, they said, were consistent with her shielding her head from repeated blows by a blunt weapon, such as a stick or baton.
An analyst who reviewed the case observed:
“When you check the lower parts like the stomach and below, there was no injury. The target was the head. The hands are smashed because she was trying to protect her head.”
The report leaves little doubt that Molly was under siege. All injuries fit the legal definition of grievous harm, which covers permanent disfigurement, serious health damage, or maiming.
How It Began: The Fatal Night
On November 2, 2023, Prince Henry Katanga was discovered dead from a gunshot wound at his Mbuya residence. Molly was found nearby, unconscious and covered in blood. She was rushed to IHK in critical condition, but within days the state declared her the prime suspect, accusing her of murdering her husband.
The initial theory was that she had shot Katanga during a domestic dispute. However, the newly surfaced police medical report complicates this narrative — suggesting she may instead have been targeted for elimination in the same attack.
The Accused and Bail Battles
The case quickly grew to involve several family members and staff. Molly was charged with murder, while her two daughters — Patricia Kakwanza and Martha Nkwanzi — together with the family shamba boy George Amanyire and medic Charles Otai, faced charges of tampering with evidence and being accessories after the fact.
While her daughters and the two staffers were later granted bail, Molly has remained locked up at Luzira Women’s Prison. Despite her deteriorating health — with ailments including hypertension, vertigo, and multiple surgeries from her injuries — her bail applications have been denied three times, most recently in February 2025 by Justice Rosette Comfort Kania of the High Court’s Criminal Division. The judge ruled that the gravity of the charges and the advanced stage of the trial outweighed her pleas for release.
Inside the Courtroom
The trial initially began in July 2024 before Justice Isaac Muwata. However, after the judge fell ill and could no longer proceed, the case was reassigned in January 2025 to Justice Rosette Comfort Kania, who now presides over the matter.
The proceedings have been marked by drama, contradictions, and questions over the credibility of evidence. Witnesses have stumbled under cross-examination, with even close relatives of the late Katanga appearing inconsistent. Some police officers admitted gaps in how evidence was handled, citing lack of proper training.
The Prosecution Team — led by DPP’s office with Principal State Attorney Jonathan Muwanganya, assisted by Samali Wakooli and Annah Kiiza — has insisted Molly must answer for her husband’s death.
Her Defense Team, drawn from Kampala Associated Advocates and Tumusiime Company Advocates, includes Peter Kabatsi, Elison Karuhanga, Jet Tumwebaze, and McDusman Kabega. They argue that the medical report proves Molly was not an aggressor but a defenseless victim, incapable of staging a killing in her condition.
The Turning Point
The police report has emerged as the single most powerful piece of evidence in Molly’s favor. It not only challenges the state’s theory but also raises the possibility of a wider plot. If accepted by court, the evidence could recast Molly from murder suspect to survivor of attempted murder.
Yet, as the trial continues into 2025, with over 10 prosecution witnesses already heard, Molly remains in Luzira, while her daughters and staff await their own fates on bail.
For now, Uganda watches closely as a case that began as a domestic tragedy edges toward becoming a judicial thriller, with the truth about who really killed Prince Henry Katanga still hanging in the balance.
