A British forensic DNA expert has dealt a significant blow to the state’s case in the high-profile murder trial of Kampala businessman Henry Katanga.
Testifying before High Court Judge Comfort Rosette Kania, the expert stated that the DNA evidence relied upon by prosecutors is legally and scientifically insufficient to prove that the deceased’s widow, Molly Katanga, pulled the trigger.
The witness, a seasoned forensic DNA instructor from Scotland whose identity and photograph were withheld by the court for security reasons, appeared as a key witness for the defense.
The core of the prosecution’s case rests on the assertion that Molly Katanga’s DNA was the dominant profile found on the pistol recovered from the couple’s Mbuya residence following Henry Katanga’s fatal shooting on November 2, 2023. State prosecutors argue this dominant profile directly implicates her in the murder.
However, the British expert flatly rejected this assumption.
“It is a misunderstanding that the strongest DNA profile found on an item would be the last person to touch it,” she testified.
She explained that individuals shed DNA at entirely different rates, meaning a “heavy shedder” could leave a more pronounced genetic footprint than the actual last person to handle an object. Furthermore, she noted that DNA can persist on surfaces for years unless degraded by extreme heat or damp conditions, making it scientifically impossible to determine exactly when or in what sequence multiple people handled the firearm.
According to the expert, the police forensic report fails to establish the timeline of touch. She emphasized that investigators heavily undermined their own case by relying almost exclusively on DNA profiling. A proper investigation, she argued, would have prioritized fingerprint analysis to compare prints on the weapon with those of both the deceased and the accused.
The expert’s appearance was not without drama. Earlier in the day, state prosecutors attempted to block her testimony entirely, arguing she lacked a temporary Ugandan work permit to present expert evidence. Justice Kania briefly adjourned the session, allowing the defense team to swiftly secure the necessary immigration clearance.
Molly Katanga, 56, who has maintained her innocence throughout the grueling trial, remains on remand at Luzira Prison. The high-society tragedy has gripped Uganda, drawing intense public scrutiny due to the prominent status of the Katanga family.
Molly is jointly charged alongside her daughters, Martha Nkwazi and Patricia Kakwenza, who face charges of being accessories after the fact for allegedly destroying evidence. The family’s domestic worker, George Amanyire, and a nursing officer, Charles Otai, are also on trial for conspiring to alter and tamper with the crime scene.
The defense hearing continues as the court evaluates the conflicting forensic narratives.