The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
SPECIAL REPORT | ANTHONY NATIF | As recorded in court, in the case Uganda Vs Molly Katanga and adapted from @TonyNatif on X.
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Yesterday, the defense closed their cross-examination of DSP Bibiana Akong, who is the 23rd witness in this case that has now clocked two years.
Sunday, 2nd November 2025 was the two year anniversary of Mr Henry Katanga’s death.
Akong led the investigations into this case, and perhaps that, perhaps, explains why her cross-examination spanned five weeks.
It was extensive, it was brutal, and it left no stone unturned.
The defense, through defense attorneys Jet Tumwebaze and MacDusman Kabega have adroitly worked to chip away at PW23’s Evidence-in-Chief; calling her a liar, challenging her expertise, putting to her inconsistencies in what she said and the statements of her colleagues as well as putting it to her that despite her claims, she wasn’t really the lead investigator in this case.
They rested with Kabega referring to her Catholic faith and inviting her to repentance for what he called “the countless lies told to this court”. (See video in frame 2)
UgandaVsMollyKatanga
Yesterday, the defense closed their cross examination of DSP Bibiana Akong who is the 23rd witness in this case that has now clocked two years.
Sunday, 2nd November 2025 was the two year anniversary of Mr Henry Katanga’s death.
Ms Akong led the… https://t.co/66xK7jajEA pic.twitter.com/4jq4lcyvyw
— Anthony Natif (@TonyNatif) November 4, 2025
The prosecution, through Assistant DPP Samali Wakooli responded by calling for an early adjournment to prepare for re-exam. The judge granted it and adjourned the matter to 4/Nov/2025 at 9:30 am.
We shall bring you a comprehensive report of PW23’s session but for now, the video in frame 1 will give you an idea as to what transpired yesterday.
If you don’t understand Luganda, I’ll offer a simple summary:
Akong had told court that the motive for Mrs Katanga’s alleged shooting of her husband was partly around a property purchase agreement they found in the couple’s bedroom.
Kabega wondered how she could have arrived at this conclusion by looking at a purchase agreement signed by Mrs Katanga.
He told her that motive was a very important aspect of murder investigations and immediately reminded her that in her own statement (exhibit D19), she makes no mention of this condominium sales agreement as being partly the motive behind the alleged murder of Mr Katanga. He then went further to say that in fact you make no mention of motive in your statement at all. (See video in frame 3)
The other issue had been about the blood found splattered all over the walls, floor, and ceiling of the couple’s bedroom. There had been the theory that said blood was brought in a bag by Charles Otai, A4 and splashed all over the walls.
Kabega, while referring to a blood splatter analysis report, sought to expose this as untrue.
The report, according to him, indicated that there were instances of violence in the bedroom, and it’s what most likely led to that blood being splattered all over the room.
You might recall that the Director of Forensics in Police earlier in the trial told then presiding Judge Isaac Muwata that all the blood found in the room belonged to Mrs Katanga, except the blood found on the bed where Mr Katanga was found dead.
You might also recall that the forensic pathologist in this case found Mr Henry Katanga’s body without any self defense injuries.
You further recall that police’s Director of medical services, Dr Richard Byaruhanga told court that when he examined Mrs Katanga, he found her with defense injuries that were consistent with those on someone beaten with blunt objects.
Yesterday’s blood splatter section seems to have been yet another defense piece in this Katanga case jigsaw that’s been pieced together for just over 2 years.
Anyway, Akong denied having read the blood splatter analysis report but acknowledged having been present when the experts were doing this work and also acknowledged that the report was on her file.
Attempts by the defense to get into details of this report were earlier repeatedly met with heated objections. The defense shot back with claims bordering on accusing the prosecution of suppressing evidence.
The impasse was only settled by presiding Judge Rosette Comfort Kania indicating that court would summon the expert who authored this report as a court witness.
Matter resumes in a few minutes
