Ggaba Community Court : The High Court has heard a detailed and dramatic defence from Christopher Okello Onyum, who denied intentionally killing four children at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
He told court he is Ugandan by birth but later acquired American citizenship.
Responding to the charges, Okello firmly denied deliberate involvement in the deaths of the children on April 2, 2026.
He argued that while the incident occurred, there was no intention on his part to commit murder, insisting that prosecution had failed to prove premeditation.
He further challenged key prosecution evidence, particularly statements in which he allegedly confessed. Okello told court that both his charge and caution statement and a separate plain statement were made under pressure, claiming he was forced to say what investigators wanted.
Okello said the charges should not stand because the prosecution did not demonstrate that he acted deliberately.
Okello also raised concerns about his mental state at the time, suggesting that although he appeared mentally stable, there could have been underlying challenges that were not detected and may have influenced his actions.
In a lengthy account, he described a period of distress between January and late March, during which he claimed he was being followed and threatened by unknown individuals.
He told court that these people monitored him in his residence in Bunga, demanded money, and instilled fear that forced him to abandon his residence and live on the streets for some time.
He said he was constantly hiding and attempting to escape what he described as a dangerous situation, even considering fleeing the country.
He also mentioned experiencing extreme thoughts during this period, which he attributed to the distress he was under.
Okello went on to describe three groups of people he believed were involved in tracking him. He said one group appeared to be young individuals who casually greeted him, while another consisted of well-dressed individuals driving expensive vehicles and using communication devices.
A third group, he said, appeared ordinary but seemed connected to the others.
He told court these individuals may have influenced his actions on the day of the incident.
Okello also presented himself as a person of good character, hardworking and focused, with a promising future and family responsibilities.
He said it would be unlikely for him to conceive or plan such a crime, adding that his defence would rely on testimonies from his father, former landlord and individuals who leased him land.
In his closing remarks, Okello maintained that the deaths of the children were not intentional and urged court to dismiss all four murder charges, arguing that the prosecution had not established motive or intent.
Okello is charged with the murder of Eteku Gideon, Keisha Angenrwot Otim, Sseruyange Ignitius and Odeke Ryan, allegedly committed on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
