The High Court has sentenced Christopher Okello Onyum to death after convicting him on four counts of murder in connection with the killing of toddlers at a daycare centre in Ggaba.
In delivering the sentence, the trial judge H.W Alice Komuhangi Khaukha said the punishment must reflect both the gravity of the crime and its impact on society, noting that the case demanded a strong message to deter similar acts.
“This court must impose a sentence that not only speaks to the convict, but also to the families who lost their children and to anyone who may contemplate such actions,” the judge ruled.
Court heard that the offences, prosecuted under Sections 171 and 172 of Uganda’s Penal Code Act, arose from a brutal attack on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, where four children aged between one and two years were killed.
The victims were identified as Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenowroth, Ignitious Seruyange, and Ryan Odeke.
The judge concluded that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and rejected the defence’s argument that the accused was not mentally responsible for his actions.
Having found him guilty, the court proceeded to impose the death sentence, the maximum penalty under Ugandan law for murder.
Okello was informed of his right to appeal the decision.
“You have a right of appeal to the Court of Appeal within 14 days from today,” the judge stated.
