Christopher Okello Onyum, 39, has lodged an appeal before the Court of Appeal in Kampala seeking to overturn both his conviction and death sentence for the murder of four toddlers at a nursery school in Ggaba.
Okello was found guilty by the High Court after an expedited trial conducted by Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha. The judge convicted him on four counts of murder and described the killings as exceptionally cruel, placing them among the most serious criminal cases. He was sentenced to death on April 30, 2026.
The offences were committed on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, where four children aged between 18 months and two-and-a-half years lost their lives. The victims were identified as Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignitius Sseruyange and Rayan Odeke.
Following the judgment, the court informed Okello of his right to appeal within 14 days. Records show that on May 6, 2026, while detained at Luzira Prison, he filed a notice expressing his intention to challenge both the conviction and sentence.
The notice, reportedly prepared by Okello himself and endorsed with his thumbprint, marked the beginning of the appellate process. In the document, he formally notified the Court of Appeal that he was contesting the High Court decision that convicted him on four murder charges under Sections 171 and 172 of the Penal Code Act and sentenced him to death on each count.
According to information contained in the Judiciary’s Electronic Court Case Information Management System (ECCMIS), Okello later submitted a memorandum of appeal on June 12, 2026. In it, he raises three key grounds, arguing that the trial court failed to properly assess the evidence presented, leading to an unjust outcome.
He also contends that insufficient consideration was given to medical evidence relating to his mental condition. Additionally, he challenges the death sentence, describing it as excessive and unwarranted.
Okello is asking the appellate court to set aside both the conviction and sentence and order his release.
The appeal is understood to have been prepared with assistance from the Uganda Law Society’s Legal Aid Project. The Court of Appeal, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, has not yet appointed a three-member panel to hear the matter.
Meanwhile, Stanley Okecho, counsel representing the victims’ families and Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, has urged the appellate court to determine the case without delay. He noted that the High Court handled the trial within a remarkably short period and expressed hope that the same efficiency would be maintained at the appellate level.
The case remains one of the country’s most closely watched criminal matters, attracting widespread public interest due to the nature of the crime and the speed with which the trial was concluded.
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