Christopher Okello Receives Death Sentence for Ggaba Daycare Toddler Murders

Christopher Okello Onyum, 38, has been handed a death sentence by the High Court in Kampala for murdering four toddlers at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026. The victims were Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignatius Sseruyange, and Ryan Odeke, aged between one and two-and-a-half years.

Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha ruled that the offense warranted the maximum penalty, citing its calculated brutality in a safe space for vulnerable children. She noted Okello’s lack of remorse, failure to apologize to the families, and evidence suggesting possible ritual motives, supported by psychiatric testimony.

The prosecution pushed for the death penalty, emphasizing premeditation and extreme violence. Defense arguments about Okello’s dysfunctional family background were dismissed as insufficient to justify the act. The judge stressed the sentence’s role as a deterrent against similar crimes.

The trial, held via an innovative mobile court at Ggaba Community Church playgrounds by Lake Victoria, lasted three weeks with 18 witnesses after Okello pleaded not guilty. It faced disruptions like a prison van accident injuring a journalist and a storm damaging tents, alongside daily prayers led by a local pastor.

Public reactions were intense, with community members celebrating the verdict through songs and dances, while the case sparked national calls for better child protection. Okello has 14 days to appeal the conviction and sentence.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)