By Spy Uganda
The High Court of Uganda in Kampala has ruled that widow Molly Katanga has a case to answer in connection with the death of her husband, businessman Henry Katanga.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, presiding judge Rosette Comfort Kania said the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case, requiring Ms Katanga to mount a defence against the charge of murder.
Justice Kania told court that evidence presented by the state indicated that Molly Katanga was the last person seen with the deceased on November 2, 2023, the day Henry Katanga sustained a fatal gunshot wound at their home in Mbuya, Kampala.
“There were only two occupants, the widow and the deceased. The accused person was the last person seen with the deceased. Having considered all that, the prosecution has succeeded in adducing evidence to form a prima facie case requiring each of the accused to explain their actions,” Justice Kania ruled.
The court also held that four co-accused persons — the couple’s daughters Patricia Kakwanzi and Martha Nkwazi Katanga, family nursing officer Charles Otai, and domestic worker George Amanyire — similarly have cases to answer.
According to the prosecution, Molly Katanga allegedly shot and killed her husband. The co-accused are said to have participated in efforts to destroy evidence and assist the widow in evading justice following the incident.
While Molly Katanga faces the principal charge of murder, the four others are charged with related offences including destruction of evidence and being accessories after the fact.
Henry Katanga was found dead in the couple’s bedroom, while the widow was discovered unconscious with serious injuries to her head and hands. The defence maintains that the businessman died by suicide following a domestic dispute, a claim that will now be tested as the accused open their defence.
The ruling paves the way for the defence hearing, with the matter adjourned to March 26, 2026, when the accused are expected to begin presenting their case.
Molly Katanga has been on remand at Luzira Prison for over a year as the trial proceeds.
