The High Court in Kampala, presided over by Justice Comfort Kania, resumed hearing the murder case of businessman Henry Katanga, with the prosecution presenting its 17th and 18th witnesses.
In the morning session, Assistant Inspector of Police Emmanuel Odongo, a member of the Directorate of ICT at the National Command and Control Centre in Naguru, testified that on the morning of November 2nd, at 7:45am, the CCTV system at the Katanga residence was switched off and only resumed recording several minutes after 8am.
However, under intense cross-examination by defence attorneys, Odongo admitted that he found no evidence of tampering with the CCTV system.
He also could not confirm whether there had been a power outage in the area at that time.
Additionally, Odongo failed to identify Molly Katanga in the vehicle he claimed transported her to the International Hospital Kampala (IHK).
Odongo’s report referenced “movements up and down the stairs” at the Katanga residence.
Yet, when pressed by the defence to clarify the source of this information—specifically whether the stairs were visible in the footage—he was unable to provide a clear answer.
In the afternoon session, the prosecution called Detective Assistant Inspector of Police Aisha Birungi. She testified that she found Molly in a room at IHK labelled as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), though it lacked life support machines.
Birungi stated that she entered IHK around 2pm and took samples from Molly’s mouth and hands, despite simultaneously claiming the suspect’s hands were fully bandaged.
The defence, led by Elison Karuhanga, accused Birungi of lying, arguing it was impossible for her to have seen Molly or taken samples between 2pm and 3pm.
Hospital records showed Katanga was admitted to ICU at 5pm and was undergoing surgery at 2pm.
Karuhanga questioned how Birungi could have taken samples from bandaged hands, concluding that the detective never saw the suspect nor visited the hospital.
The defence further referenced Birungi’s statement describing the person she met in ICU as a “light-skinned adult woman,” arguing that Molly’s physical appearance does not match this description.
Karuhanga requested a zoomed-in image of Molly to emphasize this discrepancy.
Under further questioning, Birungi failed to prove ownership of the samples labeled M1, M2, M3, M4, and K.
She admitted she did not know what sample K was.
The samples, contained in swab test tubes, did not bear her name nor the date they were collected.
Karuhanga asked, “What connects you to these samples?”
Birungi responded, “The handwriting is mine.”
Karuhanga dismissed this, noting that her handwriting had never been submitted as evidence, so the court could not verify it.
He then asked, “Would anyone looking at these swab tubes know they were recovered by you?”
Birungi replied, “No, my Lord.”
Karuhanga further inquired if the envelope in which Birungi packed the samples at IHK was the same one the samples were later presented in court.
She admitted the envelopes were different.
“So, you cannot confirm that what is inside these tubes is what you supplied?” Karuhanga asked.
Birungi answered, “Yes.”