Katanga murder trial deferred to next year after judge falls sick

The high-profile murder trial in which five people are accused of being behind the killing of Kampala businessman Henry Katanga, has been adjourned until next year on January 21.

The long adjournment is attributed to the trial judge’s current ill health.
The parties in the case had shown up earlier today in court, but the Assistant Registrar of the Criminal Division of the High Court, Mr Salam Ngobi, instead came and said the trial judge, Isaac Muwata, had instructed him to adjourn the matter.
“The trial judge is unable to attend to this matter. My instructions are to adjourn it to January 21, 2025,” Registrar Ngobi told the parties present in court.

Before the adjournment, the hearing had stalled for close to a month over various reasons.
So far, 10 prosecution witnesses have testified against the five suspects including the step-sister to the deceased, Naome Nyagweso.
On November 2, last year, Mr Katanga was found dead at his residence in Mbuya near Kampala following what is believed to be a domestic brawl with his wife Molly Katanga.
His wife, the key suspect Molly Katanga, was rushed to a nearby hospital after she sustained deep cut head wounds but was later arrested and charged with the murder of her husband.

She has since denied the murder charges slapped against her.
She is jointly charged along with her two daughters Patricia Kakwanza and Martha Nkwanzi who face lesser charges of destroying evidence and being an accessory after the fact of murder.
Also charged are Charles Otai, a medic with Bugolobi Medical Center, and George Amanyire, formerly a shamba boy at the Katanga’s residence.
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