Katanga murder: Court to rule on daughters’ bail application today

The High Court in Kampala is today expected to rule on an application filed by Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kakwanza, daughters of the late Henry Katanga, seeking release on bail.

The two sisters are charged with destroying or removing valuable evidence related to their father’s murder. The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwanganya, has requested Justice Isaac Muwata to deny bail and proceed with the trial, as the state is ready with its witnesses.

Muwanganya also suggested strict bail terms if the judge grants bail, including depositing land titles and passports with the court, weekly reporting to the registrar, and sureties bonded for at least Shs100 million each.

Nkwanzi and Kakwanza were arrested with their mother, Molly Katanga, after the murder of their father on November 2, 2023, at their family home in Mbuya-Nakawa division. All three, along with the family’s shamba boy, George Amanyire, and Charles Otai, a medical practitioner, remain incarcerated at Luzira prison.

Unlike their mother, who faces murder charges, the daughters applied for bail and presented their respective husbands and in-laws as sureties whom the state has found no issue with. Amanyire and Otai also requested bail, citing their roles as sole breadwinners for their families.

Written by Ruth Anderah