DEATH ROW FIGHT: Three Court of Appeal Judges Picked to Hear Okello Onyum’s Bid to Overturn Death Sentence Over Ggaba Toddlers Saga

News Desk | BFM Radio

Three justices of the Court of Appeal have been designated to hear an appeal by Christopher Okello Onyum, who is challenging his conviction and death sentence for the murder of four toddlers at a daycare centre in Ggaba, Kampala.

The judicial panel comprises Justices Christopher Gashirabake, Eva K. Luswata and John Mike Musisi, whose assignment was communicated through the Judiciary’s Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS) on November 10, 2026.

Onyum is seeking to overturn the High Court decision that found him guilty of murdering the four children and subsequently sentenced him to death on April 30, 2026.

In his appeal, filed on June 12 through the Uganda Law Society’s Legal Aid Project, Onyum questions the manner in which the trial court assessed the evidence, particularly medical findings relating to his mental condition at the time of the incident.

He also argues that the death sentence imposed on him was excessive and should be set aside or reviewed.

The appeal, registered as Criminal Appeal No. COA-00-CR-CN-0288-2026, contains three grounds, including alleged errors in the evaluation of evidence, failure to properly consider his mental health defence and the severity of the punishment.

Onyum further asks the appellate court to overturn his convictions and sentences and order his release.

The case stems from the April 2, 2026 incident at Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre in Makindye Division, where four children, all below three years, were killed.

The deceased were identified as Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignatius Sseruyange and Ryan Odeke.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence indicating that Onyum had entered the facility under the pretext of seeking admission for a child before attacking the young victims.

However, his defence centred largely on his mental condition, with the trial court being asked to consider whether he was legally responsible for his actions.

In her April 30 judgment, High Court Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha dismissed the insanity defence, ruling that the evidence presented did not establish that Onyum suffered from a mental disorder that prevented him from understanding the nature and consequences of his actions.

The court considered several pieces of evidence, including psychiatric assessments, CCTV recordings, witness accounts, telephone records and forensic findings, before convicting him on all four murder counts.

He was subsequently handed the death penalty on each count.

Onyum had earlier communicated his intention to appeal through a notice filed on May 6, 2026, while in Luzira Prison.

The assignment of the three justices now sets the stage for appellate proceedings, in which the Court of Appeal will examine whether the High Court properly applied the law, evaluated the evidence and arrived at the correct conclusions.

The outcome will determine whether the convictions and sentences stand or are overturned or varied.