The lead investigator in the Henry Katanga murder case yesterday revealed that the late Kampala businessman was shot at a 45-degree angle from an elevated position.
Detective Superintendent of Police Akongo Bibiana, testifying for the fifth day, told the court that the alleged shooter had been standing above Katanga when the fatal gunshot was fired.
During cross-examination by defence counsel MacDosman Kabega, Ms Bibiana was asked to demonstrate the 45-degree shooting angle using a gun. The request drew laughter in the courtroom as lawyers debated who would volunteer for the demonstration. Eventually, a lawyer stepped forward for the exercise.
Ms Bibiana explained that the entry wound was on the head, near the ear, and insisted that it would be impossible for someone to shoot themselves at a 45-degree angle. When tasked to demonstrate it herself, she admitted she failed.
‘Wasn’t your evidence that you are not a ballistic expert?’ Mr Kabega asked. ‘My lord, I’m not a ballistic expert,’ she replied. She also confirmed she had no formal training in ballistics. Another defence lawyer, Mr Elison Karuhanga, volunteered for the demonstration. He managed to pull the trigger at a 45-degree angle, eliciting chuckles in the courtroom, but the witness maintained that this did not identify who fired the fatal shot.
The court, presided over by Justice Rosette Comfort Kania, adjourned further cross-examination to November 3. On November 2, 2023, Henry Katanga was found dead at his residence in Mbuya, Kampala, following what police believe was a domestic dispute with his wife, Molly Katanga. Molly was arrested and charged with murder. She is jointly charged with her two daughters, Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanza, who face lesser charges of destroying evidence and being an accessory after the fact.
Other suspects include Charles Otai, a nursing officer who was among the first to arrive at the scene, and Mr George Amanyire, a shamba boy employed at the Katanga home. The case has drawn public attention due to the high-profile nature of the family and the unusual courtroom demonstrations illustrating the shooting angle.