The High Court in Kampala, Uganda has sentenced Christopher Okello Onyum, 38, to death after convicting him of murdering four toddlers at an early childhood development centre in Gaba, a suburb of the capital city. The convict has been in court since early this month, having been arrested as the prime suspect in the April 2 gruesome murder of children at the facility, hacking them with a kitchen knife. The four victims were aged between one and two-and-a-half years. Delivering the verdict on Thursday, April 30, the presiding judge, Alice Komuhangi, said the crime belongs to the “rarest of the rare” category, as she ordered for the death penalty. The judge emphasised that the killings were carried out in a cruel and calculated manner, targeting children in a safe environment. She further noted that Okello showed no remorse throughout the trial, including failing to apologise to the grieving families, some of whom were present in court. During the case hearing, the prosecutors had asked the court to impose the death sentence, arguing that the murders were committed with extreme brutality and premeditation. His defence lawyer offered condolences to the victims’ families and asked court to consider his troubled background, including coming from a dysfunctional family. However, the judge ruled that such factors could not justify the magnitude of the crime.
