Molly Katanga’s Injuries Described as ‘Catastrophic’ in Court as Nurse Recounts Bloody Morning Scene

The High Court in Kampala on Tuesday played chilling Crime Scene Reconstruction videos recorded at the residence of the late businessman Henry Katanga, revealing graphic testimony from a nurse who first attended to Molly Katanga after the fatal incident that left her husband dead.

The footage, taken by police investigators, shows nursing officer Charles Otai describing the condition in which he found Molly on the morning of November 2, 2023, shortly after she had been brought to Bugolobi Medical Centre by her daughter, Patricia Kankwanzi.

Visibly disturbed in the recording, Otai recounts how Patricia arrived at the facility in a Land Cruiser V8, frantically calling for help.

“Charles, emergency, mummy, mummy, mummy,” she reportedly shouted, prompting him to rush to the vehicle.

There, on the back seat, lay Molly in a pool of blood.

Otai said Molly had a gaping head wound, fractured hands, a broken toe, and a finger that was “only being held by meat.”

“Her head was split open, like someone had banged it down. The brain was out,” he said in the video, noting that both her hands appeared to have been broken near the wrists and she could not sit or respond coherently.

“She was in severe pain, completely disoriented and bleeding profusely,” Otai said.

He added that Patricia initially wanted her mother taken to Ruby Hospital, but he advised against it given the scale of the emergency.

Instead, a referral was quickly made to International Hospital Kampala (IHK), where Molly could receive more advanced treatment.

Otai and his colleagues helped load her into an ambulance and accompanied Patricia to IHK, where they assisted with the admission process.

“Patricia was crying, very unsettled,” Otai said, adding that once Molly was admitted, he returned to Bugolobi to prepare a report and invoice.

The nurse also confirmed that the Katanga family were regular visitors at the medical centre, and he had known Patricia personally for some time.

These revelations were among a set of videos transcribed and submitted into evidence through prosecution witness number 14, who asked to remain anonymous.

The visual exhibits are part of the ongoing trial into the death of Henry Katanga, who was reportedly killed at the couple’s home under still-contested circumstances.

Otai is among five people indicted in relation to the case. Alongside Katanga’s daughters, Patricia Kankwanzi and Martha Nkwanzi, and a household worker George Amanyire, Otai faces charges of being an accessory after the fact and allegedly tampering with evidence.

Authorities claim some of those involved may have attempted to conceal details of what happened before and after the fatal shooting.

The prosecution has not levelled any formal charges against Molly herself in relation to her husband’s death.

However, the court is continuing to examine medical evidence, witness accounts, and security footage to establish what transpired in the early hours of November 2.

Molly remains on remand at Luzira Prison since she was dragged out of hospital and charged in January 2024 and is not physically attending the court due to her injuries.

Her lawyers have argued that her medical condition prevents her from participating fully in the proceedings.

Henry Katanga’s death, from a gunshot, has gripped public attention in Uganda due to the high profile of the family and the increasingly complex web of allegations involving those close to the couple.