The High Court in Kampala has adjourned proceedings in the high-profile trial of Christopher Okello Onyum to 3:00 pm Monday, April 27, 2026, to allow the defence team to submit its final arguments, as the case edges closer to conclusion.
Okello, the prime suspect in the killing of four children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Day Care Centre, formally closed his defence on Monday morning.
The move signals a significant step toward the final phase of the trial, which has drawn widespread public attention due to the gravity of the allegations.
The defence team had earlier indicated plans to present additional witnesses to support their case. However, they abandoned the move after failing to trace two key witnesses they had intended to call to the stand.
Lawyers representing Okello told court that despite efforts to locate the witnesses, their whereabouts remain unknown and their known mobile phones were switched off, forcing the defence to proceed without their testimony.
The case originates from a tragic incident on April 2, when a man suspected to be Okello entered the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Day Care Centre and attacked children, killing four toddlers in a shocking act that sent waves of grief and anger across the country.
The suspect, later identified as Christopher Okello Onyum, was arrested at the scene immediately after the incident. His swift arrest marked the beginning of what has become one of the most closely followed criminal cases in recent memory.
In response to the public outrage and demand for transparency, President Yoweri Museveni directed that the trial be conducted in a public setting. This led to proceedings being held at the Ggaba Community Church grounds to allow members of the public to witness the judicial process firsthand.
Since the start of the public hearings, large crowds have gathered at the church grounds, where the court has listened to testimonies from prosecution witnesses and examined evidence surrounding the events of April 2, while the defence has sought to challenge the allegations against the accused.
With the defence case now closed, the court is expected to proceed with final submissions before a ruling is eventually delivered on one of the most closely watched criminal trials in recent times.
In his defence last week, Christopher Okello Onyum said he did not intentionally kill the four Ggaba daycare centre children as he claimed that he was distressed. (See Details Here).
It should be remembered that the state prosecution presented CCTV evidence, phone records and online search history showing he targeted six other schools to pin Christopher Okello Onyum over the Ggaba daycare killings. (See Details Here, There and Over There).
