Christopher Okello Onyum, the prime suspect in the killing of four children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre has pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder.
Okello appeared before a mobile court sitting directly at the crime scene this morning, where proceedings attracted a large crowd of members of the public under tight security
Presiding over the court, Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha formally read out four separate murder charges against him, each connected to the deaths of the four infants allegedly killed at the facility.
Court records show that Okello acknowledged understanding the charges after they were read to him.
When asked to respond, he briefly consulted his lawyers before entering his plea. “No, I plead otherwise. I plead not guilty,” he told the court.
His response caused a wave of shock among some members of the public in attendance, prompting the judge to intervene and urge order as proceedings continued.
The trial is set to proceed throughout the week, with daily mobile court sessions scheduled at the Ggaba crime scene to allow public access to the hearings.
The case first came up for mention at Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court earlier this month, where Onyum was formally charged and committed to the High Court for trial. In response to nationwide outrage, President Yoweri Museveni directed the Judiciary to fast-track the matter and conduct proceedings within the affected community so that residents could witness justice being served. This led to the historic mobile court arrangement.
