Molly Katanga unfit to leave hospital, says medical report

A report by a team of five specialists from Mulago Hospital shows that Molly Katanga is not yet fit to physically appear before the police to record a statement in connection with the alleged murder of her husband, city businessman Henry Katanga.

Led by Dr Joel Kiryabwire, a consultant neurosurgeon at Mulago, the team in their conclusion, stated that given the severe dizziness that Ms Katanga is experiencing following multiple scalp lacerations, and fractures on both upper limbs that she suffered; coupled with the state of hypovolemic shock, she can’t appear physically at a police station for statement recording.
“As per the evaluation today (January 3rd, 2024), she is alert and coherent but has dizziness and is distressed about her current situation. She is still undergoing medical treatment. A statement can be obtained from the patient while in hospital.” reads in part the medical report of the specialists.

Adding: “The dizziness is worsened by change of position and thus whenever she gets up, she has to move gently and needs a short period to first stabilize from lying to standing positions. She is able to sit unassisted. She has been reviewed by Ear Nose and Throat specialists and is being managed for central vertigo.”

According to the report dated January 3 seen by this publication, the Director General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health, Dr Henry Mwebesa constituted the team to evaluate Ms Katanga’s situation to establish whether she can record a police statement since she is a key suspect in the murder of her husband.
She is currently undergoing treatment at C-Care Hospital Kampala (IHK), where she has been since November 2, last year following a domestic brawl with her late husband.

The other specialists were Dr Norbert Orwotho, a consultant orthopedic surgeon, Dr Jane Nakibuuka, a senior consultant physician, and Dr Robert Ssentongo, a senior consultant plastic surgeon and the director of Kayunga Regional Referral Hospital.
Dr Noeline Nakasujja, an Associate Professor Psychiatrist from the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University, was the other specialist on the team.

The evaluation was conducted on the morning of January 3rd in the VVIP room of C-Care Hospital (IHK).
The report in which the lead consultant puts a disclaimer of how none of the specialists he worked with had a conflict of interest in the matter being investigated, states that Ms Katanga experiences sharp vertical pains in her head and that they are on and off.
On general inspection, the report reveals that Ms Katanga was lying on a hospital bed with a head net covering a bandaged shaved sculp.

“She was able to get to sitting position unaided but was not subjected to a test of her walking as she mentioned that she is able to walk around the room unassisted when moving to the toilet,”the report states in part.
Adding: “She has pain over the ulna side of her right hand and also has numbness over the left middle fingers and pain on stretching them. She also had pain over the stamp of the amputated little finger.”
The report also says that the neurosurgeon examination indicated she had a GCS 15/15 and moves all sides of the body and that she had a scalp dressing which was removed.

“The patient’s mental state was noted to be orientated and conscious. She was speaking in a low tone. Her speech was coherent. She was oriented for place but not very well oriented for time, the thought flow was slow but connected. Her recall was good and she could name objects, and follow commands. She was mostly well composed in the interview but clearly distressed about the events that have happened to her and cried when she mentioned she is being accused of something she did not do.”
Ms Katanga sustained injuries on the day her husband was shot in their matrimonial bedroom on November 2 last year in Mbuya, in Kampala.
Subsequently, she was admitted at C-Care Hospital (IHK) where she has been since.

The 54-year-old was reported to have multiple scalp lacerations, fractures on both her upper limbs and was to that effect, resuscitated with radiological investigations carried before being taken to theater.
Through her stay in hospital, she has had a number of surgeries with the latest being on December 12 last year.

On Monday this week, Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court extended Ms Katanga’s criminal summons to January 22 after court heard that she was still in hospital and couldn’t show up to plead to the murder charges slapped against her by the state.
The charge sheet has five suspects including two of her daughters with one of them, Martha Nkwazi now facing arrest for continued snubbing of court summons.
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