KAMPALA — Police surgeon Dr Emmanuel Nuwamanya has told the High Court that murder suspect Christopher Okello Onyum had a history of mental illness and experienced hallucinations.
While testifying before Justice Alice Komuhangi Khaukha, Dr Nuwamanya said that during a medical examination conducted on April 7, 2026, the accused, Christopher Onyum Okello, disclosed that he had previously suffered from a mental condition.
The doctor informed court that the illness, which was treated between 2016 and 2025, was associated with both auditory and visual hallucinations.
Court Told Mental Health Claims by Accused Could Not Be Verified, Says Police Surgeon
The same police surgeon has told the High Court that claims made by the accused regarding his mental health could not be independently verified due to lack of supporting documentation.
Dr Nuwamanya, who is the deputy director of police health services, informed the court that the assessment relied solely on the suspect’s own account, noting: “The only source of information was Mr Okello himself and he had no medical documents.”
He explained that without official medical records, it was not possible to establish the accused’s psychiatric history or determine whether he had recovered and been discharged as mentally fit.
“The availability of medical documents would have stated whether his condition had cured and he had been discharged as a functional person,” he told the court.
Despite the absence of corroborating evidence, Dr Nuwamanya said his professional evaluation at the time found no immediate concerns, concluding: “I assessed that he was in a stable mental state at that time.”
The case stems from the events of April 2, 2026, when Christopher Okello Onyum was arrested in connection with the killing of children at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, a case that has since drawn widespread public attention.
He was subsequently arraigned before the High Court as investigations into the matter progressed.
The proceedings are being held at the Ggaba Community Church grounds, where a public trial was ordered by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The directive was aimed at allowing members of the affected community to witness the judicial process firsthand, in a bid to promote transparency and restore public confidence following the shocking nature of the killings.
Meanwhile, another medical report revealed that suspect Christopher Okello Onyum suffers from Sickle Cell Disease and that he had missed medication for sometime, as reported Here.
Meanwhile, Christopher Okello Onyum’s landlords have also testified, with one telling court that the suspected killer loved children, as detailed Here.
The state has also reportedly picked interest in allegations that Christopher Okello Onyum killed his step mother’s child years ago, as reported Here.
