Businesswoman Molly Katanga has denied allegations by the prosecution that she withdrew Shs40 billion from a joint company euro account following the death of her husband, Henry Katanga. Katanga denied the allegations on Tuesday while being cross-examined in the murder trial before the High Court Criminal Division. She is accused of shooting her husband dead on November 2, 2023, at their home on Chwa II Road in Nakawa Division, Kampala.
In her defence, Katanga had earlier told trial judge Rosette Kania Comfort that her husband had been stressed and depressed after businessman Apollo Nyegamehe, commonly known as Aponye, allegedly failed to repay a loan of Shs1.5 billion before he died in a road accident. She claimed the financial loss contributed to Henry Katanga’s deteriorating mental state.
However, Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya argued that by the time Henry Katanga died, he had substantial savings and investments, making it unlikely that the unpaid debt alone could have caused depression. Muwaganya referred the court to a Euro account held at Stanbic Bank Uganda linked to one of the couple’s companies, which allegedly contained more than 8.8 million euros, equivalent to about Shs40 billion. He suggested that the account had since been depleted.
The prosecutor asked Katanga to confirm whether she had withdrawn all the funds from the account. Defence lawyers Macdusman Kabega, Elison Karuhanga, and John Jet Tumwebaze objected to the question, but Justice Kania allowed the witness to respond. “I can’t answer from the document, I don’t know,” Katanga told the court. She, however, admitted that she continued operating the accounts after her husband’s death, including while on remand at Luzira Prison.
“I have been paying suppliers, and I have constantly withdrawn money,” she said. When asked how she had been instructing the bank while on remand, Katanga said she had an arrangement with the bank that she could not disclose in court. The prosecution spent much of the morning session questioning Katanga about financial records and bank accounts linked to two companies jointly owned by the couple — Merge Uganda Limited and Maks Logistics Uganda Limited.
Muwaganya presented several banking documents, including company resolutions, memoranda, articles of association, beneficial ownership declarations, specimen signature cards, and account statements from Stanbic Bank. Katanga confirmed that she and the deceased were directors, signatories, and beneficial owners of company accounts held in euros, US dollars, and Uganda shillings.
She acknowledged that company resolutions dated between April and October 2009 bore both her name and that of Henry Katanga as directors and account signatories, and confirmed that the companies were jointly owned on a 50-50 shareholding basis. However, she repeatedly told the court that she could not recall some account numbers, branch locations, and specific banking details.
When shown the Euro account statements allegedly linked to Merge Uganda Limited, Katanga initially said she could not conclusively identify the account despite recognising the company name. After further questioning, she read out the account numbers and admitted the accounts belonged to the company.
The prosecution also questioned her about other assets allegedly owned by the deceased, including savings in United Nations accounts, ICEA insurance accounts, SACCO savings, personal bank accounts, and investments in securities and bonds worth billions of shillings. Katanga confirmed the existence of some of the savings, including Shs1.5 billion and Shs2.6 billion in ICEA accounts, Shs1 billion in UCCFS Community SACCO savings, and about Shs400 million in a personal bank account.
Muwaganya argued that the deceased’s financial position contradicted claims that he may have been depressed because of debts. “That’s the reason we say he can’t be depressed by a debt of Shs1.5 billion,” the prosecutor said. In response, Katanga replied: “Why do you say that? It’s a debt.”
The prosecution further questioned Katanga about alleged classified government supply contracts involving Merge Uganda Limited, including supplies related to firearms. Katanga denied knowledge or training in the use of guns. “Ask the end user. I have never been trained in the use of a gun. You have never seen me holding a gun or shooting,” she said.
Muwaganya also accused Katanga of allegedly fabricating medical documents used to support her bail application. She denied knowledge of any fabricated medical records, including X-ray results. Katanga named several doctors who reportedly attended to her at International Hospital Kampala, including Dr. Ssekimpi, Dr. Kavuma, and Dr. Onen, but said she did not know who specifically handled or received her medical records.
Under further questioning, Katanga said she could not remember who consented to an operation she allegedly underwent or whether she had been given documentation confirming admission to the Intensive Care Unit. Earlier in the session, defence lawyers led by Karuhanga and Kabega objected to the admission of several banking documents as prosecution exhibits.
The defence argued that some company resolutions and memorandum documents had already been presented in court through records from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and challenged the admissibility of uncertified copies and national identity documents belonging to the deceased. Kabega also argued that the prosecution had not sufficiently demonstrated the relevance of the documents being introduced.
In response, Muwaganya maintained that the disputed documents were certified bank records distinct from those earlier obtained from URSB and were relevant because the witness had acknowledged using them to open and operate the accounts. The prosecution later closed its cross-examination. The case will resume on May 13, 2026, for a further defence hearing.
Molly Katanga is jointly charged with her daughters, Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi, a shamba boy, George Amanyire, and a nursing officer, Charles Otai. They are accused of acting as accessories after the fact by allegedly tampering with evidence and attempting to conceal the circumstances surrounding Henry Katanga’s death-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
