The High Court has sentenced Christopher Okello Onyum, a Ugandan-American national, to death for the murder of four toddlers at a daycare centre in Ggaba.
Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha delivered the sentence on Thursday, May 1, 2026, after finding Onyum guilty on four counts of murder.
The court heard that Onyum was arrested on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, where four children aged between 15 months and two-and-a-half years were stabbed to death.
Prosecutors, led by Senior State Attorney, told court that Onyum had confessed to police that he carried out the killings as a “human sacrifice” for wealth. He later pleaded not guilty in court.
Justice Khaukha rejected a defence of insanity, ruling that the “accurate and precise manner” of the attacks showed premeditation.
“He targeted them in their defenceless state... and had no fear, no shame, no consideration for human life,” the judge said while passing sentence. “I have also considered that the convict has not shown any remorse.”
The judge added that she would have expected an apology to the victims’ families. Onyum has an automatic right of appeal within 14 days under Ugandan law.
The court heard testimony from a staff member who described trying to stop Onyum with a child’s bicycle during the attack. Parents of the victims also testified about taking their children to the centre on the morning of the incident. Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre management was not immediately available for comment.
