Relatives and State ties are at the centre of matters arising from Ankole kingdom prince and Kampala businessman, Henry Katanga’s death amid tension since he was allegedly shot dead by his wife, Molly Katanga during wee hours on November 2, 2023 during a quarrel upon his arrival at their home in Mbuya,Kampala.
Two of the deceased’s relatives, Barnabas Taremwa (brother-in-law) and Brig. Freddie Karara (uncle) have now asked for an inquest into their loved one’s death, saying he never shot himself dead, because he was right-handed yet the killer bullet hit his left ear. They filed an application at the Civil Division of the High Court in Kampala on November 16, where they gave more than half-a-dozen grounds, as different big officials are also protecting the wife.
WHO IS KATANGA? The Ankole prince hailing from Kariro,Rubindi, Mbarara district is one of the 9 children of late Katanga and Miriel Kyobuhooro (Bahinda royal family of Ankole kingdom – with family patriarch being a brother to former Ankole King Sir Charles Kasyonga II).
His brothers James Katanga, Ntomi Katanga and Arthur Kasasira were part of the original NRA 41 who attacked Kabamba during NRA guerilla war.
James and Ntomi died before victory while Kasasira died after NRA captured power (after 1986).
Henry’s sister, Naome Kashushani was married to late Maj Gen Francis Nyangweso. Naome now remains the only alive, of the 9 siblings.
Both Henry and Molly have been running Merge Ltd, a procurement and supplies company; doing business with State House, Special Forces Command-SFC, Defense ministry, Agriculture ministry, Civil Aviation Authority, Uganda Revenue Authority, World Food Program,etc. At the time of his death, Henry had relocated to Rwanda-Orwera in Kikatsi sub county, Kiruhura district.
He is related to Deputy IGP Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, MD National Enterprise Corporation (a business wing for UPDF) Lt Gen James Mugira (cousin), Deputy SFC Commander Brig. Charity Bainababo (cousin), Animal Industry state minister Maj. Bright Rwamirama (uncle), Barnabas Taremwa (brother-in-law), Brig. Freddie Karara (uncle), and other big officials both in the security and other big agencies.
On Molly’s side; she is related to Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Burundi (brother), President Museveni’s former son-in-law Geoffrey Kamuntu (brother),etc.
RELIABLE SOURCE & POLICE FILE; THE ALLEGED PLOT & PRESIDENT MUSEVENI’S INTERVENTION. MOLLY & 8 OTHERS TO BE CHARGED: Molly had been at C-care IHK (former International Hospital Kampala) to plan with one Dr. Otai, where she again took herself after this incident – and she has been in ICU there since November 2.
The following facts are on the Police file:
1. The experts confirmed it’s Molly who pulled the trigger.
2. Ugx300m/= was withdrawn at 9:01am from Stanbic and by this time the young girl hand not made it known to any one that her father was dead.
3. Molly personally walked herself to hospital. Molly’s call data reveals that she had been at IHK the previous evening of Nov 1st to arrange her plot for the next morning.
4. The doctor (Otai) was invited to the scene by Molly to “manage” any trace of crime.
5. The young boy(Siima Katanga)(who has now been located) was whisked away to conceal her eye witness account of the murder from public scrutiny considering that his mother could not be with him to insulate him.
6. The 300m/= was handed to Naboth to “manage” bad publicity and deploy a team to fuel the narrative of suicide.
7.Molly has been using her both phones to foil progress of investigations and the same time purporting that she’s in coma.
8. Had there been any alleged fight between Henry and Molly,the deceased’s body would not be in a sitting posture on the bed.
9. Had Henry committed suicide, Police would have been informed first before calling Tricia,Naboth and Dr. Otai (but not calling Police after picking money from the bank to foil the flow of the truth).
10. Call Data reveals a pattern of planning and coordination between Molly and Nayebare Denise on the night of November 1st yet they were both in the same house.
On the basis of this information and with guidance from President Museveni, a decision has been taken to have Molly charged alongside 8 others; Denise Nayebare, Col. Naboth Rwabwera, the two workers at Henry’s home, Tricia, Martha, Dr. Otai, Geofrey Kamuntu. The DPP and Director CID are in full charge of the entire investigation.
POSTMORTEM REPORT: Katanga’s body found with no defense injuries. Internal organs intact. The body did not have any injuries which could have been caused by a physical fight just before he met his death in his bedroom at his matrimonial residence in Mbuya, Kampala.
The post-mortem report prepared by Uganda Police on November 2, 2023 concluded that, “There were no defense injuries seen and the long bones were intact.”
This new revelation will possibly fuel speculation that Katanga was killed in cold blood.
Katanga, a prominent moneylender was found dead on the morning of November 2, 2023, in his bedroom at his matrimonial home in Mbuya, Kampala.
Katanga’s wife, Molly, was in the same bedroom where the businessman’s lifeless body was found in a pool of blood.
Barnabas Taremwa, a friend of the deceased, has since asked the High Court to conduct an inquest into Katanga’s death, citing contradictory statements about the cause of the businessman’s demise.
“According to those aligned to his wife, Henry had committed suicide yet according to those who had no relationship with Henry Katanga’s wife, Henry had been murdered in cold blood,” said Taremwa.
The post-mortem report signed by Uganda Police pathologist Dr Male Mutumba shows that Katanga’s “chest wall, rib cage and thoracic vertebrae were intact,” adding, “There was no bleeding within the chest cavities.”
The report further notes that Katanga’s heart was intact and no focal lesions were seen.
The postmortem report
“There were no injuries on the diaphragm…There was no bleeding within the abdominal cavity. The stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and intestines were intact.”
This implies that on top of Katanga’s body not having any external signs of physical injuries, his body organs were intact.
The pathologist seemed to confirm that the only cause of death in this instance was the gunshot to Katanga’s head.
Dr Male reported that Katanga’s cause of death was “near contact range gunshot injuries.”
The report indicates that “there was a stellate shaped gunshot entry wound (size: 1.5x3cm) on the left temporal scalp area, located 7 cm below the vertex and 18 cm left of the midline of the body.”
Molly’s associates had reportedly claimed that she suffered injuries during a fight with Katanga before she was rushed to IHK hospital in critical condition.
However, if there was a nasty fight that could see Molly booked into intensive care at IHK hospital, the pathologist would have found some defense injuries on Katanga’s body.
According to the post-mortem report, Katanga was wearing two pairs of boxers and that the “upper half of the body was not clothed.”
This could imply that Katanga died after he had undressed and entered the bed or was about to go to bed after a long night with friends.
Katanga’s death has strained the once solid brotherhood of prominent military families in the country.
CRIME SCENE TAMPERED WITH: Taremwa asked court to summon top army officers who were the first to arrive at the crime scene and relatives of Molly Katanga to share information that could help in shedding more light on the circumstances under which Katanga died.
“… considering the opaqueness with which the late Henry Katanga met his death and the violence that defines his demise, it is trite to take out an application for an inquest, so that every myth and doubt touching the death of late Henry Katanga is probed into,” he added.
Henry, as he was fondly called, was a calm, cool, collected and composed human being, according to Taremwa.
“It turned out as impossible to believe that he could engage in any domestic brawl with his wife or any member of his family,” said Taremwa.
“Henry loved peace and tranquility all the years of his life:-he was thus not the type that could be a subject of such a gruesome death: more over from within the confines of his marital home.”
RISE NEWS UGANDA NETWORK investigations desk is following up on this matter as it unfolds – as the accused are expected in Nakawa court today November 21, 2023 save for Molly Katanga and Martha Nkwanzi Katanga who are hospitalized.
ALSO READ – DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: DISPUTE ENSUES OVER BUSINESSMAN & ANKOLE PRINCE HENRY KATANGA’S BURIAL
