The High Court in Kampala has convicted Christopher Okello Onyum of killing four children, dismissing his claim that he was mentally ill at the time of the crimes.
Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Alice Komuhangi Khaukha said the prosecution presented clear and convincing evidence that firmly placed Okello at the scene and directly linked him to the killings. The court concluded that the case had been proved beyond reasonable doubt.
The judge agreed with the assessors’ findings, stating that the evidence left no question about who was responsible for the deaths. She also noted that the nature of the attack showed clear intent, pointing to deliberate actions against vulnerable victims.
Okello’s defence team had argued that he was not criminally responsible due to alleged mental illness. However, the court found no medical records or testimony from family members to support this claim, weakening his defence.
As a result, the court found him guilty on all four counts of murder, relating to the deaths of Eteku Gideon, Kaise Alungat, Ignatius Sserwange, and Ryan Odeke.
Emotions ran high in the courtroom as the verdict was read. Some relatives of the victims broke down, and one parent collapsed and was taken to hospital. Others reacted with loud applause following the ruling.
The court adjourned briefly and confirmed that sentencing will be delivered later in the day at 3:00 PM.
