President Yoweri Museveni has ordered that the suspect in the recent Ggaba killings be tried within the community where the crime occurred, in a move aimed at ensuring residents directly witness justice being carried out.
The directive was communicated by Principal Judge Jane Frances Abodo, who said the case should be handled using a mobile court and concluded quickly due to its public significance. She emphasized that although courts usually follow a “first in, first out” system, exceptional cases like this one can be prioritised.
Uganda was left in shock last Thursday after Christopher Okello Onyum attacked children at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Programme, killing four toddlers aged between one and two years and injuring another.
According to the Judiciary, the case will likely be handled through the newly introduced mobile court system, especially since Ggaba does not have a High Court capable of trying such a serious case. The approach will allow proceedings to take place near the scene of the crime.
The mobile court framework was recently launched by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija under new legal guidelines issued in March 2026. The system allows judges to hear cases outside traditional courtrooms, including in public spaces and temporary setups, to make justice more accessible.
Officials say the initiative is designed to speed up case handling, reduce backlog, and extend court services to hard-to-reach areas such as remote districts, islands, and refugee-hosting communities.
While mobile courts have long been used in military justice, their application in civilian criminal cases is still uncommon. Authorities believe this case could set a precedent for handling high-profile crimes in communities.
