Christopher Okello Onyum, the prime suspect in the killing of four children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre earlier this month, has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder.
Okello appeared before a mobile court sitting directly at the crime scene this morning, where proceedings attracted a large crowd of members of the public under tight security.
The hearing began at about 11:00am, with the accused escorted to the site shortly before the session commenced.
Presiding over the court, Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha formally read out four separate murder charges against him, each connected to the deaths of the four infants allegedly killed at the facility.
Court records show that Okello acknowledged understanding the charges after they were read to him.
When asked to respond, he briefly consulted his lawyers before entering his plea. “No, I plead otherwise. I plead not guilty,” he told the court.
His response caused a wave of shock among some members of the public in attendance, prompting the judge to intervene and urge order as proceedings continued.
The trial is set to proceed throughout the week, with daily mobile court sessions scheduled at the Ggaba crime scene to allow public access to the hearings.
