Katanga testified that the scars were sustained during a domestic altercation at her Mbuya Chwa II residence in Nakawa Division in November 2023, when her late husband, prominent businessman Henry Katanga, attacked her.
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Kampala businesswoman Molly Katanga, charged with the murder of her husband, made her first in-person court appearance in over a year on Thursday at the High Court Criminal Division in Kampala to begin presenting her defence.
Previously, Katanga had followed proceedings remotely from Luzira Women’s Prison due to health issues. On Thursday, she appeared before the judge, removing her headscarf to reveal a shaved head marked with linear scars along the side and back of her skull.
Katanga testified that the scars were sustained during a domestic altercation at her Mbuya Chwa II residence in Nakawa Division in November 2023, when her late husband, prominent businessman Henry Katanga, attacked her. She insisted the injuries were evidence that she was a victim rather than the aggressor in the incident that ultimately resulted in Henry’s death.
Henry Katanga was found dead on 2 November 2023. Following his death, Molly Katanga was arrested and charged with murder. Prosecutors allege that she shot her husband and that she, alongside her daughters, a household worker, and a medical officer, attempted to conceal evidence.
Earlier this year, Justice Rosette Comfort Kania ruled that a prima facie case exists against Katanga and her co-accused, dismissing a defence request for a “no case to answer.” This ruling requires Katanga to respond to key evidence, including forensic results showing her DNA as the dominant profile on the alleged murder weapon, traces of gunshot residue on her hands, and a cut on her right little finger, which prosecutors argue could have resulted from mishandling the firearm.
Katanga’s defence team has contended that the DNA and gunshot residue could be explained by other circumstances, and that her husband’s mounting stress and persistent headaches in the days before his death contributed to the tragedy. In court, Katanga testified that Henry had been under significant financial and personal pressure and reiterated that her injuries were inflicted during his attack, not during the fatal encounter.
Under Ugandan criminal procedure, Katanga has the option to give sworn testimony subject to cross-examination, make an unsworn statement without cross-examination, or remain silent during the defence stage.
