Molly Katanga carried into court, denies killing her husband

NATIONAL | Ms Molly Katanga, widow of businessman Henry Katanga, has denied killing him as the murder trial started before the High Court in Kampala today.

Ms Katanga, in a silk-brown African print dera, was carried into the court and helped into a wheelchair by prison wardresses.

The whole process took several minutes as she looked to be in difficulties to move her lower limbs.

Ms Katanga was discovered unconscious with severe injuries to the head on November 2, 2023 - the day her husband Henry Katanga was found dead in the bedroom of the family home on Chwa II Road in Mbuya.

She has had to undergo at least three surgeries and during her initial appearance in court, her head was wrapped in medical bandage but today, she had it neatly wrapped with a white headcloth.

Justice Isaac Muwata read the murder charges to the accused who, behind her surgical mask, said she understood the charges read but denied them.

Her two daughters Patricia Kankwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi also denied charges of destroying evidence that would be used in the judicial trial for the murder of their father.

The family's house-help George Amanyire and nurse Charles Otai also denied charges of being an accessory after the fact of murder.

Meanwhile, Judge Muwata's Criminal Division of the High Court has stood over proceedings to look for a Rutoro language interpreter after Mr Amanyire said he prefers the trial to be conducted in Rutoro, a language he understands best.

The highly-publicised Katanga murder trial started today after exactly eight months of rollercoaster legal activities, including two bail hearings that were denied, a goose errand chase for total disclosure of pre-trial documents and the judge locking journalists out of the pre-trial hearing.