🔴 Anthony Natif notes from Court: Prosecution successfully blocks viewing photographs taken at Katanga residence

What the report says

In a court session in the Uganda v. Molly Katanga case, the prosecution succeeded in preventing the defense from having photographs taken at the Katanga residence viewed and admitted at that stage, according to The Independent Uganda’s account of notes by Anthony Natif. The hearing involved a defense witness, described as a professional photographer, who had taken images of the Katanga bedroom and surrounding scene.

The prosecution, led by Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya, argued that the photographs could not be properly authenticated unless the court also examined the original device used to take them and the device on which they were stored. The defense, represented by Jet Tumwebaze, opposed the objection and argued that the images were relevant and that metadata could help establish authenticity. The defense also cited earlier instances in the case where photographs and video evidence had been used without the same level of scrutiny.

Justice Kania accepted that the proposed evidence was relevant, but ruled that it did not meet the authenticity threshold without the SSD and laptop linked to the images. She said the standard for authentication in court was high and that metadata alone was not sufficient. The witness was then discharged, and the matter was adjourned to September 15 for the defense to call its next witness.

The dispute is significant because the admissibility of visual evidence has repeatedly shaped the handling of this high-profile case, which centers on the death of Mr. Katanga at the family residence in Mbuya, Kampala.