news 7 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Government Launches Probe into Suspect Okello's Alleged 2020 Killing Amid Ggaba Daycare Horror
Authorities are investigating claims that Christopher Okello Onyum, accused in the tragic stabbing deaths of four toddlers at a Ggaba daycare, killed a woman's son in 2020 after she came forward with the allegation. State Minister Balaam Barugahara revealed the information during a memorial service, while also reversing the closure of affiliated church schools and announcing aid for bereaved families. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/govt-to-probe-claim-okello-killed-someone-in-the-past-5415258
New revelations have surfaced following the devastating incident at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Programme in Makindye Division, where 39-year-old Christopher Okello Onyum allegedly stabbed four children to death on April 2, 2026. State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara Ateenyi, disclosed that an elderly woman approached him claiming Okello killed her son in 2020 and had threatened her silence.
“A person informed me of an old woman who says this same man killed her son in 2020. She’s traumatised, and we’re set to meet her soon for more details to pursue additional charges,” Barugahara stated at a memorial service on Easter Monday at Ggaba Community Church.
The victims were identified as two-year-olds Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenrwot, and Ryan Odeke, plus three-year-old Ignatius Sseruyange. Police have Okello in custody, with ongoing probes into his motive and background.
During the emotional gathering, marked by grief-stricken parents collapsing and calls for justice, Barugahara reversed an earlier order to shut down Maranatha Christian Primary School and Maranatha High School, church-affiliated institutions. “We’re here to support, not oppress. Any supervision gaps are our responsibility too,” he explained.
President Museveni, via the minister, pledged Shs10 million to each affected family. Church leaders shared plans for a new Shs800 million building, with the current site becoming a memorial. A church legal adviser clarified the suspect posed as a parent and injured a caregiver during the attack.
Relatives of victims like Lawrence Mbaziira and Joseph Mandela demanded thorough interrogations for justice. Officials, including police and mental health experts, stressed enhanced security, psychosocial support, and addressing crime root causes amid rising homicide stats.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)