Fresh concerns have emerged over the mental and emotional health condition of Christopher Okello Onyum after he burst into laughter during court proceedings, even as new testimony revealed deeper details about events leading up to the killing of four toddlers.
Onyum is on trial for the brutal murders at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, a case that has shocked the nation. He has pleaded not guilty to all four counts.
The trial is being conducted through a public mobile court at the Ggaba Community Church grounds, where residents have gathered under tight security to follow proceedings.
Tension gripped the court when the suspect suddenly started laughing moments after the court declined to admit a mobile money transaction statement as evidence. There was no clear indication of what triggered the reaction.
While the suspect has at times appeared subdued, he has also displayed unpredictable behavior—fueling growing debate about his mental fitness to stand trial.
The incident prompted defence lawyer Sarah Awero to request a 30-minute stand-over, informing court that her client was “unwell” and needed to see a doctor.
The request drew murmurs from the crowd, with security officers briefly intervening to restore order.
Presiding judge Alice Komuhangi Khaukha granted the 30 minutes need for Okello to see a doctor.
Earlier, proceedings had also been interrupted during the testimony of a third prosecution witness, Hashim Juma, who was shielded from media coverage by the court.
Juma told court that he had been in contact with the accused prior to the killings and had hired him a car. According to his testimony, Onyum paid Shs388,000 for the vehicle hire—evidence prosecutors are relying on to establish movements and possible premeditation before the attack.
Additional testimony from Annet Okello, a caretaker at the daycare centre, indicated that the accused had earlier visited the facility seeking admission for his child—placing him at the scene before the tragic incident.
Following a brief adjournment requested by the defence, Christopher Okello Onyum later returned to court accompanied by his lawyers, and proceedings resumed.
The case stems from the April 2 attack in which four young children were killed, leaving the Ggaba community devastated. Prosecutors have presented postmortem reports indicating the victims died from severe neck injuries.
By the time the courts started the trial of Okello in a public court on Museveni’s orders, questions about his mental health had been resolved. The state is equally pursuing a file linking Okello to a previous murder case. (See Details Here and There).
