By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Businesswoman Molly Katanga, accused of murdering her husband, Henry Katanga has submitted a bail application to the High Court seeking her temporary freedom.
According to prosecution, on November 2, 2023 Molly with malice aforethought murdered her husband by shooting him dead in the head with a pistol.
Represented by Kampala Associated Advocates and Tumusiime and Kabega Company Advocates, Molly contends that her legal counsel has advised her that the charges against her are bailable claiming her entitlement to the constitutional presumption of innocence until proved guilty.
According to records, on January 24, Molly was brought before the Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court, charged with murder, and subsequently committed to the High Court for trial. Despite her medical condition, she was remanded to Luzira Women’s Prison, where she awaits the commencement of her trial
“The applicant is innocent of the charges preferred against her and it is her strong desire to prove it at the trial whenever it commences,” reads the application.
In her application, Molly asserts her innocence and expresses a strong desire to prove it during the trial. She highlights her medical history, having spent over two months at C-Care IHK Hospital, undergoing five major surgeries to address injuries sustained on the day of her husband’s death. Molly emphasizes the lack of specialized post-operative care available in prison.
Molly further contended that while detained at C-Care IHK Hospital, she was inaccessible to relatives and friends without police permission.
She also assured the court of her intention to comply with bail terms and court appearances, presenting a list of reputable sureties, including the State Minister for Primary Healthcare, Margret Muhanga, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s former son-in-law Geoffrey Kamuntu among others.
According to Molly, she has a fixed place of abode at Mbuya I, Mbuya Hill village, Nakawa Division, Kampala district within the jurisdiction of the High court.
“Investigations into the criminal case were completed and as such, the applicant has no capacity to and shall not interfere with investigations/witnesses once released on bail,” adds her application.
She adds that she is of advanced age (aged 55 years) and requires specialised medical care due to her current medical condition and she has always been a law-abiding citizen and has never been charged or convicted of any criminal offence.
Molly is pleading with the court to release her, saying that although she is gainfully employed, she is the sole breadwinner of her family and the mother of a child of tender years who is totally dependent on her. She is also expressed concern that there is no indication that her trial is likely to commence anytime soon.
Molly’s bail application comes a week after the High court judge Isaac Muwata released on Shs 2 million cash bail her two daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi who are accused of destroying evidence in their father’s death.
The two daughters who had been on remand with their mother are jointly charged with the shamba boy George Amanyire and Charles Otai, a nurse who were equally granted bail last week on charges of being an accessory after the fact of murder.
The file has five suspects with Molly Katanga the prime suspect as the only one facing murder charges.
Molly’s application is yet to be allocated to a judge and fixed for hearing.
How The Saga Started
Katanga was found dead in his bed in Mbuya Chwa road 11 on a Thursday, November 2 2023.
The cause of his death remains controversial with his biological daughters (Martha Nkwanzi Katanga, Patricia Kakwanza) and wife Molly Bunanukye Katanga (widow now) pointing to domestic violence, while other close relatives claim that family property disputes may have led to his tragic death causing a deep division within the family.
Since the investigations and court proceedings began, key suspects in the gruesome murder including Molly Katanga, Martha Nkwanzi, Patricia Kakwanza , Dr. Charles Otai, and George Amanyire, a domestic worker at the deceased’s residence were remanded to Luzira Prison and later granted bail.
Before being formally charged, an arrest was issued against Molly Katanga after she snubbed court summons on several occasions claiming to be admitted at IHK apparently recovering from surgeries performed after she was allegedly injured during the violent fight that claimed her husband’s life.
According to prosecution, Molly Katanga, with malice aforethought, killed her husband on November 2 at Mbuya, Chwa 2, in Nakawa Division, with the help of their daughter Nkwanzi.
Furthermore, on the same day, Nkwanzi and Kakwanza are accused of removing or destroying potential evidence at the crime scene, with the intention of preventing its use in judicial proceedings.
The incident happened after an alleged misunderstanding with his wife whom he worked with at their procurement and supplies firm called MERGE which had penetrated the system and would transact with government agencies with huge classified budgets.
A police report referenced SD21/02/11/2023 at Bugolobi police station indicates that Katanga was shot at close range and that no bullets and fragments were recovered after Katanga’s body which was delivered at the city mortuary on November 2.
The report further indicates that Katanga’s body was wrapped in a mattress cover, stuffed in a vehicle, and transported to Mulago hospital mortuary.
The details of who moved the body remain a subject of ongoing police investigations.
Police said it retrieved a pistol number UG1622200061CZ99 compact that is suspected to have been used in the commission of the crime.
Shortly after his death, inside sources revealed that Katanga was allegedly murdered hours before he appended his signature on a WILL that he had prepared a week earlier and kept it in a safe box inside his office.
Sources further noted that Katanga had prepared the necessary paperwork documenting all his wealth and had only shared that secret with his sister, Naome Nyangweso and his lawyer.
At the time of his death, another source within the family revealed that Katanga had just made a transaction of shs16 billion.
“Besides working with Molly, he had other different lines of making his own money including money lending. He had so far gotten shs16 billion,” a source who preferred anonymity revealed at the time.
Katanga had been taking care of a number of orphans of his dead siblings and loved them as his own children including the two children of his sister Naome; Timothy Nyangweso and Marjorie Nyangweso.
Relatives highly anticipate that Katanga was planning to distribute all his property equally in a WILL among his biological children and other orphans which could have annoyed whoever pulled the trigger to end his life.
“The plan was to kill him that very day because there was no time to wait since he was planning to leave home and sign the papers,” another relative said.
According to Naome, Katanga’s lawyer was aware of the death threats that his client was facing and his death did not surprise him that is why he(Katanga) was racing against time to finish the WILL which was never a success.
While as Katanga could have prepared and signed the WILL a little earlier, he was busy with arrangements for giveaway and wedding functions for his foster daughter Patricia alias Tricia for over two weeks.
Tricia is among the suspects, and she was remanded to Luzira prison on murder charges. At the time of the shooting, Tricia confirmed to police that she was present and revealed how her father and mother got a misunderstanding before she heard a gunshot.
Katanga was one of the Ankole princes while his wife Molly is a relative and close confidant to key government and security officials who are allegedly trying to save her from facing murder charges.
