By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Controversy continues to unfold at the High Court in Kampala as Molly Katanga has today, for the first time physically appeared in court to defend herself against murder charges in connection to the death of her husband, businessman Henry Katanga.
Taking to the witness stand in an emotionally charged session, Molly firmly denied any involvement in her husband’s death, telling court: “I didn’t kill my husband. I don’t even know how to use a gun.”
In her testimony, Molly painted a picture of what she described as a peaceful and stable marriage, dismissing any long-standing domestic conflict.
“We never had any issues. We never quarreled, we never separated. It was a normal marriage,” she told court, adding that the late Henry Katanga was “a gentle man, introvert and very quiet.”
She further revealed that prior to his death, Katanga was battling immense financial stress stemming from unpaid debts in his business dealings.
According to Molly, one of the major sources of distress was a substantial sum of approximately Shs1.5 billion allegedly owed to him by the late Apollo Nyegamehe, who died in a motor accident before settling the debt.
“When Apollo died, my husband came home and told me ‘I am finished’ because he had been demanding a lot of money from him,” Molly testified, noting that the incident weighed heavily on Katanga’s mental state.
Night Of The Incident
Recounting the events leading to the fatal incident, Molly told court that the couple had shared what would become their last supper the previous evening after Katanga returned home around 8pm — but she observed he was visibly stressed.
The situation, however, reportedly turned violent the following moments.
“The fight started when he found me brushing my teeth in the bathroom. He started beating me up until I couldn’t stand anymore,” she narrated.
In a chilling account, Molly alleged that Katanga brutally assaulted her, slamming her against a door and repeatedly beating her with what she described as a batoon.
“He slung me on the door and hit me hard. I hit my head. He continued beating me,” she said.
Molly Katanga Asks For Water
Molly emotionally told court that after the alleged assault, she was left helpless and physically drained.
“The only thing I asked for was water. I was too thirsty,” she said, drawing silence across the courtroom.
She added that Katanga called out to her three times after the beating, but she was too weak to respond.
Moments later, she claims he made a chilling declaration.
“He said, ‘I’m going to kill myself,’” Molly testified.
According to her, what followed was a loud, sudden sound.
“I immediately heard a very big sound, but I couldn’t tell exactly what it was,” she said.
When pressed in court whether the sound resembled that of a gunshot, Molly stated she could not confirm, though she acknowledged being aware that her husband owned a firearm.
The high-profile case, which has gripped public attention for months, continues to unravel with each testimony shedding new light on the circumstances surrounding Henry Katanga’s death.
Molly Katanga remains on trial as proceedings continue, with more cross-examination expected to further test the credibility of the accounts presented before court.
