By Paul Joseph
A High Court in Uganda has sentenced a 38-year-old man, Christopher Okello Onyum, to death by hanging for the brutal killing of four toddlers at a nursery school in the capital, Kampala.
The incident occurred on April 2 at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, where the convict fatally stabbed the children identified as Eteku Gideon, Keisha Agenorwoth, Sseruyange Ignatius, and Odeke Ryan aged between one and two years.
Delivering judgment at a special High Court session held within the community Thursday, Justice Alice Komuhangi Khauka ruled that the defendant was mentally fit at the time of the attack and therefore fully responsible for his actions.
“The convict deliberately targeted defenceless children and carried out the killings without fear or remorse,” the judge said, describing the act as heinous and inhumane.
She noted that the court found no credible evidence to support claims of mental illness raised by the defence.
During the trial, prosecutors presented extensive evidence, including forensic analysis linking the suspect to the murder weapon, CCTV footage tracking his movements, and eyewitness testimonies from daycare staff who witnessed the attack.
Investigators also relied on call data placing him at the crime scene.
Although the defendant initially confessed to the killings, reportedly describing them as a form of ritual sacrifice intended to bring wealth, he later pleaded not guilty and argued that he was mentally unstable at the time.
The court rejected the insanity defence, stating that the evidence clearly showed he was in control of his actions.
Onyum, who holds dual Ugandan and United States citizenship, has 14 days to appeal the sentence.
While capital punishment remains legal in Uganda, executions are rare, with the last officially recorded case dating back to 2005.
The case has drawn widespread condemnation and renewed debate over child safety and the use of the death penalty in the country.
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