Jailed convict Christopher Okello Onyum has raised two grounds of appeal challenging both his conviction and the death sentence handed to him for the murder of four toddlers in Ggaba.
Okello was convicted by Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha and sentenced to death on April 30, 2026, after a two-week mobile High Court trial.
The court found him guilty of killing four children Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignitius Sseruyange and Rayan Odeke—at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026.
The victims were aged between 1 and 2 years.
In her judgment, Justice Komuhangi described the killings as barbaric, premeditated and among the rarest of the rare cases deserving the maximum penalty under Ugandan law.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Okello filed a notice of appeal on May 6, 2026, within the legally required timeframe, indicating his intention to challenge both conviction and sentence.
He later filed his memorandum of appeal on June 12 before the Court of Appeal in Kampala.
In his appeal, Okello argues that the trial judge erred in law and fact by failing to properly evaluate the evidence on record, thereby reaching a wrong conclusion that led to a miscarriage of justice.
He also contends that the court did not adequately consider medical evidence regarding his mental status at the time of the offence, which he says affected the fairness of the judgment.
The appeal documents were prepared with support from the Uganda Law Society Legal Aid Project, although Okello initially drafted and signed the notice of appeal himself from Luzira Prison using a thumbprint.
Commenting on the development, lawyer Stanley Okecho, who represents the victims’ families and the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, welcomed the appeal process but called for its expeditious handling.
He said the High Court had set a strong precedent by concluding the trial within a short time and expressed hope that the appellate court would maintain the same efficiency given the gravity of the case, which shocked the nation.
Judiciary spokesperson James Mawanda Ereemye confirmed that the Court of Appeal has received the appeal but noted that a panel of justices is yet to be constituted and no hearing date has been fixed.
