crime 13 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Daycare Worker Testifies: Suspect Posed as Parent Before Stabbing Four Toddlers to Death
A caretaker at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre told the High Court how murder suspect Christopher Okello Onyum gained entry by pretending to enroll a child, then launched a deadly knife attack on four toddlers. She described her failed attempts to intervene as the assailant moved swiftly between victims. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/worker-tells-court-how-suspect-gained-access-to-ggaba-daycare-before-killing-four-babies--5422532
In a harrowing testimony at the High Court in Ggaba, Phoebe Namutebi, a 34-year-old caretaker at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, recounted how suspect Christopher Okello Onyum deceived his way into the facility before killing four children.
Namutebi, testifying as the sixth prosecution witness, said Onyum first approached the gate on April 1, 2026, around 11am, claiming he wanted to enroll a three-year-old child who needed social care. She directed him to a nearby nursery since their centre served children under three, and he inquired about fees and payment options before leaving.
He returned the next day with a child’s bag, repeating his story and posing as a Good Samaritan helping an abandoned mother. Escorted to coordinator Annet Odong, he paid Shs195,000 via mobile money for a receipt under ‘Zuriel Onyum’.
The mood shifted instantly. As Namutebi returned the receipt book, she spotted Onyum hunched over a child through a window. Rushing out, she found one toddler in a pool of blood, with Onyum wielding a knife and attacking another.
‘I threw children’s bicycles at him and screamed for help,’ Namutebi said, noting he chased her as she fled, falling three times. The silent attacker, breathing heavily, was eventually overpowered by responding men, including worker Bukenya, and confined to a security room.
Two extra knives were found in his socks, and the attack weapon was discarded outside the fence. Namutebi tried carrying victim Keisha to safety, but the child died before reaching the gate. All four bodies were confirmed dead at a medical facility.
Onyum has pleaded not guilty to the murders. The court adjourned until Wednesday for cross-examination.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)