For the second time in days, proceedings in the public trial of Christopher Okello Onyum have been thrown into disarray—this time by a sudden and violent thunderstorm that tore through the open-air courtroom in Ggaba.
The session, which had resumed in the afternoon with expectations of hearing the prosecution’s final witness, was abruptly interrupted when dark clouds gathered and a light drizzle quickly transformed into a destructive storm.
Within minutes, powerful winds swept across the Ggaba Community Church grounds, ripping apart sections of the main tent where the court was seated.
As the structure began to give way, panic spread among those present. Court officials, journalists, and members of the public scrambled to find safety while security personnel moved swiftly to protect the presiding judge, Alice Komuhangi Khaukha.
She was quickly escorted out of the collapsing tent and driven away from the scene.
The adjoining tent that housed members of the public also shook under the force of the winds, forcing people to flee in all directions as the storm intensified.
The chaos brought the session to an immediate halt, cutting short the day’s proceedings and delaying the anticipated testimony. Authorities later confirmed that the hearing would resume once conditions allow.
Meanwhile, worshippers at a nearby church were seen praying fervently as the storm raged, fearing further destruction as the winds battered the area.
This latest disruption adds to a growing list of setbacks in the high-profile trial, which has already faced interruptions due to heavy rains and a separate incident involving a prison van accident that left a journalist seriously injured.
The trial, being conducted in a temporary outdoor setting to allow greater public participation, has attracted widespread attention across Uganda following the shocking killing of four young children at a daycare centre in Ggaba. Okello has denied all charges against him.
However, repeated weather-related interruptions are now raising fresh concerns about the practicality of holding such a sensitive case in an exposed, makeshift courtroom.
Meanwhile, the state prosecutors have presented CCTV evidence showing Christopher Okello Onyum’s movements before the Ggaba daycare centre children killings; evidence from phone records and bank accounts showing Christopher Okello Onyum transactions in millions; and records on what the American Embassy Found on Okello’s mental history and criminal record (See Details Here, There and Over There).
