KAMPALA– A court in Kampala has sentenced a man to death for the murder of four toddlers at a nursery school, in a brutal attack that triggered national outrage and renewed fears over children’s safety.
The convict, Christopher Okello Onyum, 39, was found guilty of fatally stabbing children aged between two and three years during the April 2 incident. Police said a security guard intervened and subdued him before more harm could be done.
According to the court, an examination of Onyum’s phone and laptop revealed disturbing searches, including “schools near me” and “ISIS beheading,” referencing the extremist group Islamic State.
Presiding judge Alice Komuhangi Khaukha said the evidence pointed to clear intent and preparation.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the search for ‘ISIS beheading’ prepared the accused person to launch this fatal attack,” she ruled.
Onyum had denied the charges, with his defence arguing that he suffered from long-standing mental illness and had previously been treated in a psychiatric facility. However, the court dismissed the insanity claim, stating that the attack — carried out in under seven minutes — showed deliberate planning.
The case drew intense public anger, with parents attempting to lynch the suspect before his arrest.
Uganda continues to impose the death penalty for serious crimes such as murder, though executions have not been carried out in roughly 20 years.
Source: ReutersBottom of Form
