As her high-profile murder trial approaches, Ms. Molly Katanga has petitioned the High Court in Kampala to compel the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to fully disclose all key evidence intended for use against her.
Represented by her legal teams from Kampala Associated Advocates (KAA) and Tumusiime, Kabega & Co Advocates, Ms. Katanga argues that a court order issued on March 12 mandated the DPP to provide complete evidence disclosure by May 3. Despite this directive, she claims the DPP has only made partial disclosures, withholding non-privileged documents she is entitled to review.
Ms. Katanga’s legal motion reads: “An order for immediate, complete and full pre-trial disclosure of prosecution evidence be issued against the respondent for disclosure of evidence listed in appendix A to this application.”
Ms. Katanga stands accused of murdering her husband, Henry Katanga, a businessman, on November 2 last year at their home in Mbuya, Kampala. Her application for evidence disclosure has been jointly filed by her daughters, Ms. Patricia Kakwanza and Ms. Martha Nkwanza, alongside their former shamba boy, Mr. George Amanyire, and Mr. Charles Otai, the medic who allegedly first responded to the incident.
Ms. Katanga further details that on June 11, her lawyers received partial information from the DPP, who acknowledged not providing all requested evidence. The prosecution cited concerns over breaking the chain of evidence and stated that some information was either not in their possession or not intended for use.
“The bulk of the disclosure requested by the applicants from the respondent is scientific evidence which forms the basis of the charges against the applicants. The scientific evidence being requested is directly from the partial disclosure that the respondent made,” Ms. Katanga asserts.
She seeks additional evidence including photographic, graphic, tabulated color-coded materials, and annexures to expert reports, emphasizing the necessity of these documents for preparing her defense.
“All the disclosure sought is material and relevant to the preparation of the applicant’s case. Before filing this application, the applicants wrote to the respondent requesting complete disclosure, in futility,” she states.
Ms. Katanga has been denied bail twice by the High Court, despite citing health concerns that she claims cannot be adequately addressed in Luzira prison.
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