Ggaba Daycare Murder Trial: Prosecution Pushes for Okello's Conviction, Rejects Insanity Defense

The prosecution made a strong final argument on Monday to convict Christopher Okello Onyuk for the brutal killing of four infants at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026. Chief State Attorney Jonathan Muwaganya outlined the four key elements of murder: death of human beings, unlawful acts, malice aforethought, and the accused’s participation.

Medical reports and eyewitness accounts from parents, caretakers, and police confirmed the deaths of Eteku, Sseruyange, Agenorwoth, and Odeke due to deep neck wounds. No evidence suggested the killings were accidental or justified, establishing unlawfulness.

Malice was inferred from the knife used, the severe neck injuries, and Okello’s actions like scouting the site beforehand, scaring off a caretaker, and discarding the weapon. Eyewitnesses placed him at the scene, where he was arrested, with DNA from victims on his trousers, sunglasses, and the knife handle linking him directly.

Okello admitted the acts but claimed distress from earlier months negated intent. Prosecutors rejected the insanity defense, noting the legal presumption of sanity requires the defense to prove otherwise on the balance of probabilities. No evidence showed mental disease at the time of the crime; medical exams post-arrest and prior found him sound-minded.

The prosecution prayed for guilty verdicts on all four murder counts, calling the insanity claim speculative and unsupported.

Source: Daily Monitor (Uganda)