President Museveni Questions Handling of Ggaba Murder Appeal

President Yoweri Museveni has questioned the handling of the appeal by Christopher Okello Onyum, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of four toddlers at a daycare centre in Ggaba, Kampala. Museveni questioned why the case appeared to have faded from public view after the appeal was filed and suggested that, where possible, appellate proceedings should remain accessible to the community affected by the crime. The President made the remarks on October 2, 2026 , while addressing the NRM Caucus at Kololo in Kampala. Recalling the case, Museveni said he had previously urged the justice system to ensure that the accused was tried. Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines "I begged the system. You go and try this boy there. They went and tried, but up to now, the case has disappeared." Onyum was convicted by the High Court on April 30, 2026, following a public mobile trial held at Ggaba Community Church. Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha found him guilty of murdering four children and sentenced him to death. The four victims were identified as Gideon Eteku, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Ignatius Sseruyange and Ryan Odeke . The children were killed at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre on April 2, 2026. Onyum subsequently filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal challenging both his conviction and sentence. Among his grounds of appeal, he argued that the trial court had failed to properly evaluate the evidence and had wrongly rejected his defence relating to his mental state. Museveni questioned whether an appeal could similarly be handled in a setting accessible to the community where the original proceedings took place. "If they appeal, why don't you go and have the appeal heard there, where it was held?" He also called for greater public visibility of justice proceedings. "Why don't you people show the people that justice has been done?" The President said justice institutions should interact directly with communities to better understand their concerns. "So I appeal to you, interact directly with the people, you will see. You go back to the NRM way." The comments have renewed attention on the Ggaba daycare case and the broader question of how members of the public follow high-profile criminal proceedings after a trial moves to an appellate court. The original trial attracted significant public attention partly because the High Court was temporarily relocated to Ggaba under the mobile court system, allowing residents and affected families to follow proceedings close to where the killings occurred. The Court of Appeal remains responsible for determining the merits of Onyum's appeal in accordance with established judicial procedures. The current status and scheduling of the appeal should be confirmed from the relevant court records. Museveni's remarks, however, have brought renewed public attention to the case and to the question of how justice institutions can keep victims' families and affected communities informed as cases progress beyond the trial court. Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy . We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Read the original article on Nile Post . AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals , representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica . To address comments or complaints,