The High Court has sentenced Christopher Okello Onyum to death for killing four children from the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Programme daycare centre.
The judgment was delivered on Thursday, April 30, 2026, by Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, who found Okello guilty on all counts of murder.
“I hereby sentence you to suffer death for the murder of Gideon Eteku in count one, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim in count two, Ignatius Sseruyange in count three and Ryan Odeke in count four in a manner authorized by law.” Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha
Justice Komuhangi agreed with the state prosecution’s call for a death sentence for Okello. The judge described Okello’s heinous crime as “the rarest of the rare” and one that should be punished with the maximum sentence.
Ugandan judges have the liberty to increase the sentence for murder from the minimum 35 years depending on the brutality with which it was committed, according to Sentencing Guidelines Practice Directions of 2013.
Justice Komuhangi ruled that Okello had “meticulously planned and executed this offence.” Okello, continued Komuhangi, attached defenceless children who depended on adults for their protection and survival, and slaughtered them in broad day light without regard for human life.”
When the judge asked Okello if he had something to say, he could not apologize. It was his lawyer who offered condolences to the families of the killed children.
Yet Komuhangi “expected him to show remorse” and “to apologize to the families whose children were killed, but he did not apologize.”
When Okello’s lawyer tried to argue that his client comes from a broken family and should therefore be given a lighter sentence, Komuhangi responded that coming from a dysfunctional family “is not a reason to slaughter innocent children.”
In handing the maximum death penalty, the judge said she intended to “send a strong message that such acts will be met with the full force of the law.”
The case stems from the April 02 2026 killings of four children at the Ggaba daycare centre in Kampala’s Makindye Division, an incident that drew widespread shock and public concern.
Okello walked into the daycare centre supposedly to seek admission for a child before killing four children.
During the trial, the prosecution relied on witness testimony, postmortem reports, and forensic evidence to support its case. Witnesses gave accounts that helped the court reconstruct events surrounding the incident.
Medical evidence presented in court indicated that the children died from severe injuries consistent with the prosecution’s account. The State maintained that the evidence placed the accused at the scene and proved his involvement beyond reasonable doubt.
Okello, 39, was found guilty of murdering four toddlers at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026 — a crime that horrified the country and triggered widespread grief and outrage.
The High Court proceedings, presided over by Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, have been taking place at Ggaba Community Church grounds under a special mobile court arrangement, bringing the trial closer to the affected community and allowing members of the public to follow the case firsthand.
The victims — Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignatius Sseruyange and Ryan Odeke — were all young children attending the daycare centre. Medical evidence presented in court showed they died from severe neck injuries.
Postmortem reports indicated the children succumbed to hypovolemic shock following deep cuts that damaged critical blood vessels and organs.
Prosecutors built their case on a combination of forensic findings and witness testimony, arguing that Okello deliberately carried out the killings. The state presented DNA evidence linking him to the victims and the alleged murder weapon, as well as testimony placing him at the scene on the day of the attack.
The prosecution further argued that the nature of the injuries — deep, targeted cuts to the neck — demonstrated clear intent to kill. They told court that the choice of weapon and the severity of the wounds pointed to premeditation rather than a spontaneous act.
Days ago, the court ruled that the prosecution had established a case requiring the accused to defend himself. At some point, Okello’s witnesses did not show up and their phones were switched off.
Justice Komuhangi Khaukha later ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
During some of the proceedings, court sessions were briefly interrupted by heavy rain and strong winds. Proceedings were temporarily paused as court officials secured documents and participants took cover, before the hearing resumed once conditions improved.
It should be remembered that the state prosecutors presented evidence tracking Christopher Okello Onyum’s movements, his mobile phone records and his searches, including on matters like ISIS and beheading. It was also revealed that Christopher Okello Onyum might have wanted to target other schools in Kampala and Wakiso. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
In his defence, Christopher Okello Onyum said he didn’t intentionally kill the four children, saying he had been distressed Here.
Some, including first son and Uganda’s military chief, had called for the hanging of Christopher Okello Onyum as reported Here.
