Shortly after Christopher Okello Onyum, the prime suspect in the Ggaba daycare killings of four toddlers, stepped down from the witness stand, defence lawyers moved to call another witness in the ongoing trial.
Before the witness could testify, the defence made an application seeking to bar the media from recording the proceedings. Trial judge Alice Komuhangi Khaukha granted the request.
“The application is hereby granted, and the witness will be allowed to appear in court wearing a mask and cap for his protection,” the judge ruled.
Moments later, a man dressed in a matching blue outfit emerged from the storieyed building used by judiciary officials since the start of the trial and took the stand.
After taking oath, defence lawyer Richard Kombuga began examining the witness, aligning his testimony with Okello’s earlier account regarding his stay at Butabika National Referral Hospital.
Midway through the testimony, the defence applied to have “doctors from Butabika” called to testify in court. However, Justice Komuhangi Khaukha questioned the request, describing it as vague and poorly defined.
“You want us to invite who exactly? You have said ‘doctors from Butabika,’ and I need you to be specific,” she directed.
Prosecution lawyer Jonathan Muwaganya opposed the application, arguing that it was irregular and urging the court not to grant it.
The trial arises from a gruesome incident in Ggaba, a suburb of Kampala, where four young children were killed at a daycare centre in April. The case has attracted widespread public attention due to its severity and the unfolding legal and psychiatric dimensions.
Okello’s defence has increasingly focused on his mental health, with earlier testimony referencing his admission and treatment at Butabika Hospital. The attempt to call medical personnel from the facility appears aimed at strengthening the defence’s claim of mental instability as the court continues hearing the case.
