New Vision Podcast
New Vision Podcast
Inside the Ggaba daycare open trial
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Four young children were killed inside a daycare in Ggaba, Kampala, and now the man accused, Christopher Okello Onyum, is on trial in the open.
Mr.
SPEAKER_11Kellow, is it true? Uh no, no my lord, I've been adults.
SPEAKER_09April 2026. A quiet lexide community in Gaba Kampala becomes the center of one of the most shocking crimes Uganda has seen in years.
SPEAKER_11We are in court.
SPEAKER_09Could we please have some peace and four toddlers are killed inside a daycare. Days later, justice doesn't wait for a courtroom. The courtroom comes to the community. This is the story of the open trial of Christopher Okelo Onyum, who is represented by Richard Kambuga and Sarah Awelo. The High Court judge presiding over the trial of Christopher Onyum is Alice Komohanji Kauka. She's been appointed to oversee the proceedings, which are being conducted under a newly introduced community-based mobile court system.
SPEAKER_12And lastly, Mr. Okero, do you have any objection to that lady advising the court?
SPEAKER_09The trial is held at GABA Community Church Grounds near the scene of the crime to bring justice closer to the affected community.
SPEAKER_12The court admitted that evidence and marked it prosecution ADP1. Um the second uh post mortem report was in respect of the second child, and her she is again wrote Keisha or team. This one is a female child, a preschool child, and she also had injuries. Um, she had a nine centimeter long open wound also on the right side of the neck, and a 15 centimeter from the right here. It was also longer than it was deep. And the cause of death for this child is also hypoglenic shock as a result of a deep cut wound that was on the neck. I also admitted that post-mortem uh report and I marked it prosecution exit number two.
SPEAKER_09April 2nd, 2026. Prosecutors say Christopher Okelo O'Noum arrived at the daycare, posing as a parent. He had already visited once before. He knew the layout, he knew the routines. On this day, he paid fees using mobile money, gaining the caregivers' trust. Then at some point, the gate was locked. Inside, four toddlers aged between one and two and a half years were attacked and killed. The prosecution would later argue this was not random.
SPEAKER_12The third postmortem report is in respect of another child. She is called Seri Young Ignatius. He was found to be a male preschool child. He also had evidence of injuries, and it was 14 centimeter long. There was a 14 centimeter long open wound on the right side of the neck, and it was also longer than it was deep. It is located or was located at 69 centimeters from the right here, and 4 centimeters from the anterior midline. And the cause of death for this child also was um hypovolemic shock as a result of deep cut injuries which were on the mouth. This report was also admitted, and I marked it prosecution exit number three. And lastly, it is a postmortem um report in respect of another child called Dr. Ryan. This was a military school child, and um we had injuries as well. A nine centimeter long deep cut wound, which was located also on the right side of the neck in an oblique fashion, and it was at 60 centimeters from the right heel, stretching from the anterior midline. The cause of death was also uh founding hypovolomic shock as a result of deep cut injuries to the right side of the neck. So the all these children, as per this report, died from deep injuries, deep cut injuries which were on the neck. So that is the evidence that we admitted before you came on board, and going forward, you're expected to listen carefully to every evidence or every witness that comes, so that at the end of the day you're able to advise the court. And I also want to caution you that um finally, when you are going to advise the court, you have to rely on only the evidence that you have had in court, not what you have had elsewhere.
SPEAKER_09April 7th, 2026. Onyoum appears in court under heavy security. He does not speak much. The charges are read for counts of murder. Because it's a capital offense, he's not allowed to enter a plea. He's remanded to Luzera prison. Outside the courtroom, anger is already building.
SPEAKER_08They are just normal people, they are not lawyers, they don't have any legal knowledge about the law, but they listen in. Uh, it is like they are representing the public. Uh and I said that they are presenting the views of the public. What can the public uh can they? It's like they are part, they are putting the public to be part of the court session and to represent them because the old court cannot, the old public cannot be here.
SPEAKER_09April 8th, 2026. The state formally commits the case to the High Court. Prosecutors begin outlining what they believe happened. The accused bought knives in advance. He rented a vehicle, he scouted the daycare a day earlier. This is now officially a case of alleged premeditated murder.
SPEAKER_12So you can tell the people what we have been doing about assessors and the need to have them.
SPEAKER_09Between April 9th and 12th, 2026, in an unusual move, authorities approve an open trial, a mobile high court. The trial will not take place in the usual courtroom. Instead, it will be held in GABA, near the very place where the children were stabbed to death.
SPEAKER_08What I can tell you under the Trial Indictment Act, that is where we see the court assessors. If you look at section section three and section two of the Trial Indictment Act, it talks about assessors. Assessors are already included in capital offenses. You can talk of murder and other offenses like can be defilement, murder, treason, terrorism, and other offenses. Those capital capital offenses, that is where we consider to see assessors coming in court to assess the evidence or to sit in court and assess the evidence in one way or the other. Other cases like civil war, they don't. They are always in criminal offenses where they give their views and the judge, in one way or the other, uh accepts all.
SPEAKER_09A large tent is set up, security is tightened, the community prepares to witness justice first hand. April 13th, 2026, day one of the trial. A temporary high court is set up at the GABA Community Church Grounds in GABA near the daycare. Christopher Okelo Onyum is brought in. He's in his blue jeans and a jacket with red stripes on the sleeves. For the first time, he speaks to the charges. He pleads not guilty. The prosecution opens its case. This, they say, was a calculated act. Prosecution delivered its opening outline stating the killings were premeditated. The accused scouted the daycare earlier. He paid fees via mobile money to gain access. Court set the stage for witness testimony to begin. On this very day, the law society wants the trial transferred to High Court premises, but the mobile court carries on anyway.
SPEAKER_01April 14th, 2026, day two of the trial.
SPEAKER_09The first witness is the car rental director who asked that his identity be concealed, so we won't mention his name. He's the manager of the company that rented a car to Okelo O'Neum. He tells the court he communicated with Onyum via WhatsApp. The accused sounded calm, organized, normal. There was nothing unusual about the request, he says. He paid 400,000 shillings to hire a Toyota RAV for. He rented him a car, and there were no signs of distress, no signs of confusion. It was just a regular customer.
SPEAKER_02And he said he wanted to rent a house? When was that? Which year?
SPEAKER_09April 15th, 2026, day three of the trial. The court begins to hear about the digital and forensic trail. Gabba day care coordinator Annette Adong and caregiver Namutebi Phoebe narrate what happened and how they tried to get more help.
SPEAKER_07The second time when you are interacting with him, at a kumuroboquing, I be right that you never bothered to ask for his identification.
SPEAKER_12On the second day, when he came, they asked him for the documents, his identification documents. Then he said he would bring them when he's bringing the child to school.
SPEAKER_14So that gentleman, when he came back, he said he'll bring the documents on the on an on a second day. When he's bringing the child.
SPEAKER_07In your testimony, you gave here in this court. And that security guard was not at the security guard you.
SPEAKER_09One said he chased her with a knife and she ran away. Investigators outlined key evidence, mobile money records showing payment to the daycare, communication logs, CCTV footage placing on you at or near the scene. Okello smiled following the dismissal of the prosecution application to tender in receipts and mobile money extracts to be regarded in court. The narrative becomes clearer. He didn't just arrive. He integrated himself into the environment before the attack. Court was adjourned after Okello informed the judge he wasn't feeling well.
SPEAKER_04Other than caretakers, were there other staff?
SPEAKER_14Yes, while you were coordinator, new cook. Yes, there was a coordinator and a cook.
SPEAKER_09Thursday. Moments later, Dr. Charles Kajoba from Luzera Upper Prison confirms that Christopher Okelo is in stable condition and fit to proceed with court proceedings. He explains that Okelo requires treatment for sickle cell disease and he had missed the medications for the past two months. However, he has since received the necessary medication and responded positively to the treatment. When the judge asked Okelo about his health and readiness for the day's proceedings, he confirmed that he was feeling well and able to continue with the hearing. Now the prosecution introduces one of the most disturbing elements of the case: motive. They tell the court the accused was not diagnosed with mental illness, but allegedly believed in acquiring wealth through human sacrifice.
SPEAKER_04According to your assessment, was this reason that he gave for the killing of the children caused by any abnormal mental state?
SPEAKER_13Because you may understand your question, Mr. Muagani. What is your question?
SPEAKER_04My lord, the question is that the doctor says that you just told him that the Jews was able to explain the reason for killing the children as potentiing and enrichment. So I'm requiring the doctor in his perspective and out of his assessment. Could that reason given have been caused by any abnormal mental state?
SPEAKER_12Could it have been caused, could it have been influenced?
SPEAKER_04Or influenced, my lord, for lack of a better word.
SPEAKER_12Okay. Yes, doctor can answer that question.
SPEAKER_00My lord, no. The reason is for killing the children, fortune hunting or enrichment.
SPEAKER_09Then the landlords, 43-year-old Paul Mukasa, or Kello's landlord in Boonga, Joel Makai, or Kello's landlord in Chanja, narrated how he came to know him in March.
SPEAKER_06Okay.
SPEAKER_02He came at home. And he said he wanted to rent a house? When was that? It was in November. Which year?
SPEAKER_06Makachi. Busy as a must.
SPEAKER_02Then after one week, he brought the money. Yes, my lord, I'll confirm that um I'm in a stable state of mind and body.
SPEAKER_09The victims were not random. They may have been chosen. Court is adjourned to the next day, Friday, at around 4 p.m. April 17th, day five, Friday, court resumes with cross-examination of Joel Mackay, the 32-year-old manager of San Swiza Estates Limited, Okello's current residence in Chanja. As the trial continues, the court is expected to hear from additional investigators, possible eyewitnesses from the daycare. There's also a critical tension affirming reports suggest the accused made a confession statement earlier in the investigation. Yet in court he maintains not guilty. The question now becomes which version of events will the court believe? In a tent, in full public view, a community watches as the justice system works through horror, grief, and unanswered questions. The trial of Christopher Okelo O'Noon is still unfolding. And until the final judgment is delivered, the truth itself remains on trial. You've been listening to the New Vision CSI Crime Stories podcast.
SPEAKER_11We are in court. Could we please have some peace and calm?