In the ongoing murder trial of Christopher Okello Onyum, who is accused of killing four toddlers in Ggaba, a suburb of Kampala, the prosecution has presented its tenth physical witness, the Deputy Director of Police Health Services, Dr Emmanuel Nuwamanya.
Dr Nuwamanya told court that although Okello had a few physical injuries, he appeared calm, composed, and cooperative during examination.
“He didn’t struggle to hold a conversation and kept eye contact for the whole duration of the interaction. My judgement was that he was in control,” the doctor added.
His testimony comes amid an ongoing legal contest between the defence and prosecution over Okello’s mental state.
According to the doctor, Okello admitted that his motive for the killings was “fortune hunting.” He also reportedly confessed to killing his stepbrother, an allegation that has previously circulated on social media.
Dr Nuwamanya further testified that Okello disclosed he had attempted suicide in 2023 and had struggled with mental health challenges for several years.
However, when asked whether he could substantiate these claims, the doctor told court there were no past medical records to support Okello’s account, and that he could only rely on what the accused had reported.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Sarah Awelo questioned why Okello had not been referred to Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital for further assessment. In response, Dr Nuwamanya said he did not find it necessary at the time, noting that the alleged mental health struggles related to past events.
“I didn’t find it necessary because Mr Okello’s struggles were not in his immediate past,” Dr Nuwamanya explained.
The prosecution continues to present more witnesses as it builds a case portraying Okello as mentally stable and responsible for his actions at the time of the killings.
