A 34-year-old man accused of killing four children at a daycare centre in Ggaba, a suburb of Kampala, believed he would gain wealth through human sacrifice, according to prosecution evidence presented in court
Christopher Okello Onyum was on Tuesday charged with four counts of murder contrary to Sections 171 and 172 of the Penal Code Act. He was subsequently committed to the High Court for trial.
According to the indictment presented by Chief State Attorney Muwaganya, Onyum—who is also an American citizen—carefully planned the attack on Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre.
Prosecution states that on March 31, 2026, the accused rented a Toyota RAV4, registration number UAM 645M, from Trip Car Rental Uganda to facilitate his movements.
The following day, April 1, he visited the daycare posing as a parent seeking admission for a child, in what investigators believe was a reconnaissance mission.
“At the centre, the accused met Ms Namutebi Phoebe, one of the caretakers, from whom he inquired about the requirements for having his child admitted for care," prosecution said.
"Ms Phoebe Namutebi provided to the accused the required information for admission including details of a financial contribution for each child.”
The prosecution further alleges that four days before the attack, Onyum purchased several knives. On the day of the incident, he returned to the daycare and paid Shs195,000 via mobile money to the head of the facility.
“The accused exited the office and immediately initiated a violent assault on the children playing. When a caretaker, Ms Namutebi, attempted to intervene, the accused threatened her life, causing her to fall while he continued the assault on the victims,” the indictment reads.
A psychiatric evaluation conducted prior to the incident found the accused mentally stable.
A sanity report dated December 30, 2025, authored by a psychiatrist at C-Care IHK and addressed to the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, indicated that Onyum had no established mental disorder and was fit to live and work in Uganda.
“He was observed to have no odd behaviour throughout the medical interview,” the report states, adding that he was calm, cooperative, and demonstrated coherent speech, intact memory, and good judgement.
However, the report also notes that the accused held beliefs in acquiring wealth through human sacrifice and reportedly justified the killings as an act of “fortune hunting or enrichment.”
He nonetheless claimed a history of past mental illness.
Prosecutors say this evidence, alongside other exhibits, will form the basis of their case during trial.
