Museveni Demands Swift Justice in Ggaba Child Killer's Appeal

President Yoweri Museveni has expressed frustration over the slow pace of the justice system, specifically questioning why the appeal of Christopher Okello Onyum, convicted of murdering four toddlers in Ggaba, has not yet been heard.

Museveni highlighted the discrepancy between the swift conclusion of Onyum’s original trial, which took place at the Ggaba Community Church grounds in April and concluded in under a month, and the subsequent delay in his appeal.

“If he appealed, why don’t you go and have the appeal heard there? Why don’t you people show the people that justice has been done?” the President reportedly asked NRM MPs during a caucus at State House Entebbe.

Onyum was sentenced to death by the High Court on four counts of murder for fatally stabbing four young children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre. The presiding judge, Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, described the offences as “rarest of the rare.”

However, Onyum has since filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Lino Anguzu, stated that his office is prepared to defend the conviction and sentence but is awaiting a hearing date from the Court of Appeal.

The Judiciary, through its public relations officer James Ereemye Mawanda, has previously advised against expecting appeals to be processed as rapidly as initial trials. Mawanda noted that appeals are scheduled based on the court’s case-management system and that Onyum’s case will be heard when it reaches its turn.

Onyum’s appeal argues that the trial judge misjudged the evidence, challenges the assessment of his mental state, and contends that the death sentence was excessively harsh. He seeks to have his conviction and sentence overturned. He remains on death row pending the outcome of his appeal.

Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/museveni-questions-delay-in-hearing-of-ggaba-child-killer-s-appeal-5622048