KAMPALA, Uganda — Christopher Okello Onyum, the man sentenced to death for the murder of four nursery school children at a daycare centre in Ggaba, has filed an appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence before the Court of Appeal.
Okello, 39, was convicted by the High Court in Kampala following a fast-tracked trial presided over by Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha. On April 30, 2026, the court found him guilty on four counts of murder and sentenced him to death, describing the killings as among the “rarest of the rare” cases and characterising the crimes as particularly brutal.
The case stems from the killing of four children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026. The victims, aged between 18 months and two-and-a-half years, were identified as Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignitius Sseruyange and Rayan Odeke.
At the time of sentencing, the court granted Okello 14 days to file an appeal if dissatisfied with the judgment.
Court records show that on May 6, 2026, Okello filed a notice of appeal from Luzira Prison, formally indicating his intention to challenge both the conviction and the sentence.
In the notice, reportedly drafted by the convict and authenticated with his thumbprint, Okello informed the Court of Appeal that he intended to contest the High Court’s findings.
“Take notice that Christopher Okello Onyum appeals to the Court of Appeal of Uganda Holden at Kampala against the decision of Hon. Lady Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha,” the notice states in part.
According to records on the Judiciary’s Electronic Court Case Information Management System (ECCMIS), Okello later filed a memorandum of appeal on June 12, 2026, outlining three principal grounds.
He argues that the trial court erred in law and fact by failing to properly evaluate the evidence presented during the proceedings, resulting in what he describes as a miscarriage of justice.
Okello further contends that the court did not adequately consider medical evidence relating to his mental state and capacity during the trial.
He also challenges the death sentence imposed by the High Court, arguing that it was harsh and excessive under the circumstances and should be set aside.
In his application, Okello asks the appellate court to quash the conviction, reverse the sentence and order his release.
Court documents indicate that the appeal was prepared with support from the Legal Aid Project of the Uganda Law Society.
The Court of Appeal, headed by Deputy Chief Justice Moses Kazibwe Kawumi, is yet to constitute a panel of three justices to hear and determine the matter.
Meanwhile, lawyer Stanley Okecho, who represents the victims’ families and the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, has called for an expeditious hearing of the appeal.
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“The High Court demonstrated that a trial can happen within a month. Now it is up to the Appellate Court to uphold this standard,” Okecho said.
The case has attracted widespread public attention due to the age of the victims, the severity of the crimes and the unusually swift pace of the criminal proceedings that led to Okello’s conviction and death sentence.
The appeal now sets the stage for the Court of Appeal to re-examine one of Uganda’s most closely watched criminal cases in recent years.
