Ggaba- High Court sitting at Ggaba, Makindye Division, Kampala District has adjourned to Monday next week the defence hearing of a matter in which Christopher Onyum Okello is accused of murdering four toddlers at a Day Care Center in Gaba.
This followed, Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha’s ruling delivered on Friday, indicating that Okello is mentally fit to stand trial, in her ruling, the trial judge dismissed a defence application seeking a mental health inquiry, saying there was no reasonable doubt about the accused’s state of mind.
She declined to summon experts from Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, noting that Okello had demonstrated full awareness of proceedings since his first court appearance.
The judge observed that Okello has been actively following testimony, consulting with his lawyers and was able to present a structured unsworn defence, indicating he is mentally sound to stand trial.
Judge’s decision stemmed from testimony by Okello’s brother, who claimed he had received information that the accused had once been admitted to Butabika.
However, the witness could not state when the alleged admission occurred, how long it lasted, or the reason for it
In his defence Okello, 39, in his defence denied intentionally killing the four children on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
He argued that the prosecution had failed to prove premeditation and insisted that his alleged confessions were obtained under pressure.
Okello told court he went through a period of distress between January and March, claiming he was being followed and threatened by unknown individuals in areas including Bunga. That it’s this situation that forced him to abandon his residence and live in fear, constantly moving and attempting to escape.
Okello further described three groups of people he believed were monitoring him, including young individuals, well-dressed persons in expensive vehicles using communication devices, and others he said appeared ordinary but connected to the groups.
