news 11 April 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Kampala Toddler Killings: Open Mobile Court Trial Kicks Off Monday at Gaba School Grounds
The High Court will launch an open trial for Christopher Okello Onyum, accused of stabbing four toddlers to death at a Ggaba daycare, at Gaba Community School Grounds starting Monday, following public outcry and President Museveni's directives. Sessions will run daily from 9am to 4pm for one week, with limited seating and live broadcasts for public access. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/what-to-know-as-open-court-trial-in-kampala-toddler-killings-starts-on-monday-5420094
The trial of Christopher Okello Onyum, the man charged with the brutal stabbing of four toddlers aged one to two at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Programme on April 2, begins Monday at Gaba Community School Grounds in Kampala.
State Minister for Children Affairs, Barugahara Balaam Ateenyi, announced the proceedings, which respond to widespread public demand and President Yoweri Museveni’s instructions for a community-based hearing. Court will sit daily from 9:00am to 4:00pm over one week.
Entry is capped at the first 1,000 attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, with no re-entry once sessions start. Screens, speakers, and broadcasts on major TV stations will allow broader viewing.
For security, bags and unnecessary items are banned. This marks a rare use of the Judiciary’s new mobile court framework, gazetted on March 19 under Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, enabling hearings in public spaces to reach underserved areas.
President Museveni last week urged fast-tracking the case via mobile court, a directive relayed by Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo. While military courts often use such setups, this is among the first for civilian criminal matters.
Criticism has emerged from Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde, who called the open trial a ‘lynching’ rather than speedy justice.
Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)