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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & URN | The trial of Molly Katanga, who is accused of murdering her husband, Henry Katanga, failed to proceed on Monday due to the absence of the three court assessors who were appointed to follow the proceedings on behalf of the public.
The three assessors in this case are Simon Atongo, Sharp Mutonyi, and Consolate Tabu, who were appointed by the first trial judge, Isaac Muwata, to attend the daily hearings and advise the court on whether to convict Molly Katanga and four other accused individuals on charges related to the death of businessman Henry Katanga.
Although the role of assessors is provided for in criminal procedure rules, their opinions are not binding on the trial judge, who is free to either agree with or differ from their findings. Due to the absence of the assessors, Deputy Criminal Division Registrar Salaam Ngobi, sitting in for the new trial judge Rosette Kania Comfort, adjourned the case to tomorrow, March 11, 2025.
The prosecution is expected to continue presenting evidence from their 10th witness, a digital forensic examiner. The prosecution team, led by Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Samalie Wakooli, Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya, and State Attorney Anna Kiiza, was ready to proceed, with two witnesses already present in court.
Molly Katanga is accused of murdering her husband, Henry Katanga, a charge she has consistently denied. She has also been denied bail on three separate occasions.
Molly is facing trial alongside her daughters, Patricia Kakwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi, as well as domestic worker George Amanyire and nursing officer Charles Otai.
Her co-accused are facing charges related to the destruction of evidence and being accessories to the murder. While her co-accused have been granted bail, Molly remains in jail, where she has been for over a year. Henry Katanga, a renowned businessman, succumbed to a gunshot wound to his head on November 2, 2023, at their residence along Mbuya Chwa II Road in Kampala.
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