By KT Reporter
High Court in Kampala on Tuesday watched chilling videos and images from the crime scene where businessman Henry Katanga was allegedly murdered in his marital bedroom. The prosecution displayed blood-stained floors and splattered walls, painting a gruesome picture of the events that unfolded at the Katanga residence on Chwa II Road, Mbuya.
The evidence was presented by Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Enock Kanene, a digital forensic examiner, who laid out the prosecution’s findings in the case where Molly Katanga, the widow, is facing murder charges. She is jointly charged with four others: family shamba boy George Amanyiire, nursing officer Charles Otai, and her daughters Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanzi, who are accused of destroying crucial evidence and being accessories after the fact of murder.
Appearing before Lady Justice Rosette Kania Comfort, Kanene—who is the prosecution’s 10th witness—resumed his testimony after the trial stalled for over four months. He revealed that he had profiled and analyzed several phones belonging to the accused persons, as well as a CCTV video recorder recovered from the Katanga residence. However, he has not yet presented the CCTV footage in court.
“I received a request from the police to analyze all the phones and establish if there was any information connected to the murder of Henry Katanga,” Kanene testified. According to Kanene, he successfully accessed nine phones but was unable to retrieve data from others due to password protection and outdated software.
Among the analyzed devices was a phone belonging to George Amanyiire, the family’s shamba boy. Kanene told the court that this phone contained three short videos—each between four to ten seconds long—showing a bloodstained crime scene. Additionally, it had 13 pictures, including selfies of Amanyiire wearing a checked shirt with visible bloodstains.
The court was shown these images on a large screen, with Amanyiire standing at the alleged crime scene, further placing him at the center of the investigation. Kanene further testified that, on the day of the alleged murder, one of the recovered phones—registered under the name Denize Nayebare—had made 102 calls, the majority of which were outgoing. Additionally, Kanene examined Henry Katanga’s Nokia phone, which had an Airtel line. The court heard that this phone had multiple missed calls between 7:42 AM and 10:44 PM on the day of the murder. The first recorded missed call was from a contact saved as “George Home,” linking it to Amanyiire. After his analysis, Kanene authored a forensic report, which was formally submitted into court records as evidence.
The trial had stalled for over four months after the initial judge, Justice Isaac Muwata, was indisposed. Lady Justice Kania explained that the delay necessitated her reassignment to handle the case. Prosecutors accuse Molly Katanga of murdering her husband, a charge she has repeatedly denied. Her bail applications have been rejected three times.
Meanwhile, her co-accused—including her daughters, the shamba boy, and the nursing officer—were granted bail, leaving her as the only suspect still in custody for over a year. The late Henry Katanga, a prominent businessman, succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head on November 2, 2023. The prosecution team is led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Samalie Wakooli, alongside Chief State Attorneys Jonathan Muwaganya and Annah Kiiza.
The deceased’s interests are represented by former Deputy Attorney General Mwesigwa Rukutana, alongside lawyers Edgar Ayebazibwe and Brian Rubaihayo. On the defense side, Molly Katanga and her co-accused are represented by a legal team comprising Peter Kabatsi, Macdusman Kabega, Elison Karuhanga, and John Jet Tumwebaze. The trial continues today, Wednesday-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
