Molly Katanga, the widow of deceased businessman Henry Katanga, on Thursday began her defence before High Court judge Rosette Comfort Kania, telling court that her husband was under severe financial stress in the months leading to his death.
Appearing in court with a pink veil covering her scarred head, Molly maintained that she did not kill her husband and said she does not know how to use a gun or how it operates.
Molly, who was married to Henry Katanga for 35 years, told court that they had a normal marriage with no history of separation or major conflict.
She described her late husband as an introvert and a gentleman.
However, she testified that about two months before his death, Katanga began showing signs of extreme stress related to his money lending business.
“His business was stressing him. He could talk about it, saying people were not paying as he had expected. He shared this with me several times,” she told court.
Among the issues that troubled him most, Molly said, was a large unpaid debt owed by businessman Apollo Nyegamehe, commonly known as Aponye, who died before settling the debt.
Aponye, a long-time friend of the Katangas, died in a motor accident in Itojo along the Kabale–Mbarara Highway in July 2023 after his car rammed into a parked lorry.
According to Molly, at the time of his death, Aponye owed Henry Katanga about Shs1.5 billion.
“I remember the day Aponye died. Henry came home and told me Aponye has died. He said, ‘It is like I have lost everything, my heart and everything I have worked for,’” Molly told court.
She added that because of their close friendship, many of the loans given to Aponye were informal and not formally documented, suggesting the debt could have been even higher than the Shs1.5 billion recorded.
Molly said the issue of Aponye’s debt and other unpaid loans constantly weighed on her husband’s mind and caused him significant stress.
On the day of Katanga’s death in November 2023, Molly told court she returned home, did her routine evening walk up Mbuya hill, took a shower and helped her son with homework before dinner.
They retired to their bedrooms at around 7pm, and Henry Katanga returned home about 30 minutes later.
She said that when he arrived, he immediately began complaining about stress from his business and unpaid debts, saying he was tired of the money lending business.
“He said, ‘I am done with this business, it is stressing me, I am depressed,’” Molly told court.
She later went to the prayer room, leaving him seated in the dining area. About an hour later, she returned, wished him good night and went to bed. He later joined her but appeared restless and did not sleep for some time.
She also told court that two weeks before his death, Katanga complained of a headache but said it was not a normal headache and described it as stress. She encouraged him to see their family doctor, Dr Karuhanga, which he did, but he refused to take the prescribed medication, saying medicine could not treat stress.
Molly then narrated the events of the morning Katanga died. She said that when she woke up at around 6am, Katanga was still in bed, but while she was in the bathroom, he entered and began hitting her on the head.
“He continued beating me while I was asking what had happened. I tried to duck under the sink and held onto it, but it broke. He dragged me to the bedroom area and slammed me onto a door handle. He kept hitting me on the head while I was screaming for help,” she told court.
She said Katanga was using a baton, locally known as an enkoni, adding that he had several in the house.
Molly testified that after the assault, Katanga opened the door and in a low voice said he was going to kill himself. She then heard a loud sound followed by silence.
During her testimony, Molly revealed the injuries she sustained, including deep cuts on her head, broken hands and an amputated pinky finger. She told court that she still suffers from headaches, dizziness and balance problems.
“What you see on my head in court today is after reconstruction. My hands are still swollen after two and a half years. My hands were broken, I have multiple lumps in my breasts due to tremor, I lose balance, get headache episodes and dizziness,” she said.
Molly maintained that her husband could not have acted that way unless he had suffered a mental breakdown caused by overwhelming financial stress.
With the trial now at a critical stage, the court is expected to examine whether financial pressure and mental strain could explain what happened inside the Katanga home.