The 18 Adjournments in Molly Katanga's Murder Trial

Monday’s delay, prompted by the failure to prepare court assessors, marks the 18th adjournment since the trial began on July 2, 2024.

The Criminal Division of the High Court on Monday adjourned the murder trial of Molly Katanga to Tuesday, March 11, after proceedings stalled due to the absence of court assessors.

This comes as the latest in a series of delays that have plagued the high-profile case since its commencement in July last year.

Ms Katanga is accused of the murder of her husband, Henry Katanga, who was found dead in their bedroom on November 2, 2023. She is charged alongside her daughters, Patricia Kakwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi, as well as domestic worker George Amanyire and Charles Otai, a nurse.

Lady Justice Rosette Comfort Kania, who took over the case from Justice Isaac Muwata in December, did not appear at the Criminal Division of the High Court in Kampala when the proceedings opened at 10am on Monday.

In her absence, a magistrate and registrar presided over the session, announcing yet another adjournment.

Monday’s delay, prompted by the failure to prepare court assessors, marks the 18th adjournment since the trial began on July 2, 2024.

The case has faced repeated setbacks, ranging from a defective charge sheet on the first day to the absence of crucial witnesses, the unavailability of a Runyankore interpreter, and even a witness failing to procure evidence from the stores in time.

Human rights advocate Anthony Natif, who has been tracking the case through the Public Square, noted that the recurring adjournments have undermined the promise of a speedy trial, particularly given Ms Katanga’s fragile health.

The latest adjournment raises concerns about procedural inefficiencies within the judiciary. Courts are responsible for ensuring that all necessary preparations, including the selection and briefing of court assessors, are completed before trial sessions.

If the failure to do so stems from negligence—such as a lack of timely notification—it reflects poor case management rather than an unavoidable circumstance.

Such lapses not only waste judicial time but also disrupt the administration of justice and cause undue inconvenience to all parties involved.

The trial had initially shown signs of progress. After the early July delays, proceedings ran with relative consistency until mid-July, when the absence of a Runyankore interpreter led to another halt.

The prosecution also suffered setbacks, including a DNA expert’s failure to disclose evidence to the defence in time, forcing further adjournments between August and September.

A turning point seemed to emerge when the defence team successfully cross-examined key witnesses, including Naome Nyangweso, a relative of the deceased.

Ms Nyangweso’s testimony led to heated exchanges in court, culminating in the defence obtaining a prison logbook that allegedly exposed prosecution efforts to secure a change of testimony from Mr Amanyire while he was in detention.

However, the disruptions returned in November when a state witness failed to appear, reportedly because he had travelled upcountry and could not access some exhibits.

The prosecution’s failure to ensure its evidence was ready ahead of scheduled hearings only deepened frustrations.

Judge Muwata’s health issues further compounded the delays. Although he returned to court on December 5, 2024, he did not preside over Ms Katanga’s case that day, instead hearing a separate matter in which he granted bail to a man accused of aggravated defilement.

The murder trial was ultimately pushed into the new year, now facing fresh uncertainty under its new presiding judge.

With yet another adjournment on procedural grounds, the question remains whether the court’s management of the case will improve, or if more delays will continue to test the patience of the accused, their families, and observers following the trial.

The adjournments

• November 2023 – Molly Katanga is charged. Katanga's daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi, a domestic servant George Amanyire and a nurse Charles Otai charged with connivance to destroy the evidence in the murder.
• July 2, 2024 – Trial begins but is immediately adjourned due to a defective charge sheet. Court allows amendments, and the trial is rescheduled for July 3, 2024.
• July 3, 2024 – The defense objects to a prosecutor, arguing that they want the lead prosecutor, an Assistant DPP, as a witness. The defense questions how she cited DNA results in January when the report was only made in April. They argue this proves the case against their client is fabricated. Court adjourns to July 9, 2024, for a ruling on the prosecutor’s recusal.
• July 9-11, 2024 – The trial proceeds as it starts to peel the layers of Katanga’s death puzzle. One of the witnesses, a police officer who was the first from the force to arrive at the home told court that one of the daughters Patricia Kakwanzi called him saying they had an incident of suicide at home.
• July 15, 2024 – Adjourned due to the absence of a Runyankore interpreter for a witness, who allegedly only spoke Runyankore.
• August 21, 2024 – No Runyankore-speaking witness appears. Adjourned to August 27, 2024.
• August 27, 2024 – Trial is further adjourned to September 10, 2024, as the DNA expert has not disclosed evidence to the defense, despite being required to do so before trial.
• October 3, 2024 – New witness, Naome Nyangweso, testifies. Trial is adjourned to October 8, 2024, for further disclosure of documents by the witness. Defence later accuses Nyangweso of attempting to coerce George Amanyire, the family’s former shamba boy into altering his testimony after visiting him in prison.
• November 5, 2024 – A state witness fails to appear. Court is informed that he had travelled upcountry and also could not find store keys to access some exhibits.
• November 12, 2024 – Witness PW10 appears, but the defense raises concerns over prosecution failing to disclose some evidence. The legality of the process that led to the collection of his evidence is also questioned.
• November 12, 2024 – The judge orders evidence disclosure of the raw phone and CCTV data. The defense is given time to review the documents. The judge also promises a ruling on the admissibility of PW10’s evidence, given the defence’s objections to how it was obtained.
• November 14, 2024 – Trial judge Justice Muwata is indisposed, and the hearing is adjourned to November 19, 2024.
• November 19, 2024 – The judge remains indisposed, leading to another adjournment to November 21, 2024.
• November 21, 2024 – Judge Muwata is still indisposed. Adjourned to December 5, 2024.
• December 5, 2024 – Judge Isaac Muwata, present in court for another case, grants bail to another accused person but does not hear the Molly Katanga case. Adjourned to the new year.
• January 21, 2025 – Molly Katanga makes her third bail application, citing deteriorating health, availability of substantial sureties, being the sole breadwinner, having an 11-year-old child dependent on her, and delayed trial.
• February 14, 2025 – A new judge takes over the case and decides to start with the bail application. Case adjourned to a later date.
• February 21, 2025 – Bail is denied despite the applicant being of advanced age, having substantial sureties, a fixed place of abode, a young child, and deteriorating health. Court cites its discretion in granting or denying bail but promises a speedy trial. Trial is set to resume on March 10, 2025.
• March 10, 2025 – The trial is stalled again as all three assessors fail to appear. Adjourned for one day, slated to resume today, March 11, 2025, at 11am.