Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha has sentenced Christopher Okello Onyum to death for the “meticulous” and “barbaric” murder of four toddlers at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
The sentencing, delivered near the scene of the April 2nd 2026, murders, marks one of the most severe punishments handed down by a Ugandan court in recent years.
Justice Komuhangi Khaukha ruled that the gravity of the crime placed it firmly within the “rarest of the rare” category, justifying the ultimate penalty.
Defense lawyer, Sarah Awelo, attempted to mitigate the sentence by highlighting Okello’s background.
She noted he was a first-time offender from a “broken, dysfunctional family” and suffered from sickle cell anemia.
She argued he could still be productive, citing his farming activities in Nwoya District.
The Judge, however, said that she did not believe that that should be a reason for someone to find other people’s children and then slaughter them mercilessly.
While the death penalty is no longer mandatory in Uganda, Justice Komuhangi Khaukha agreed with the prosecution that Okello’s actions necessitated it. The judge highlighted several aggravating factors, including the vulnerability of the victims, which she noted were defenseless infants.
By URN
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