Court hears forensic evidence in Katumba shooting trial, orders medical examination of accused

What the report says

The International Crimes Division of Uganda’s High Court has heard forensic testimony in the trial over the June 2021 attack on then Works and Transport minister Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala. According to Nile Post, a police forensic pathologist told the court that Katumba’s daughter, Dr. Brenda Nantongo, and his driver, Sgt. Haruna Kayondo, died from multiple close-range gunshot wounds. The case is being heard in Wandegeya and involves Kagugube Muhammed and five other accused persons facing murder, attempted murder, terrorism and related charges.

The prosecution presented three witnesses, including Dr. Moses Byaruhanga, who described the injuries found on both victims. The defence did not challenge the medical evidence about the deaths, but said it did not accept the prosecution’s claim that the accused were responsible for the attack. The report indicates that the hearing is still at the evidence-gathering stage and that the state is continuing to build its case.

Before the witness testimony, some of the accused raised concerns about their health and detention conditions. One said an earlier court-ordered scan had not been carried out and complained of ongoing pain from alleged torture injuries, while another said he had been forced to attend Christian preaching despite being Muslim. In response, the judge ordered medical examinations at Murchison Bay Hospital in Luzira, with referrals to specialist facilities if needed. The case matters because it concerns a high-profile attack that killed two people and injured Katumba, and the trial is continuing this week.