A Ugandan court has condemned to death a 39-year-old man for the murder of four small children in a horrific attack on a nursery school in Kampala, a case that has shocked the country and highlighted concerns about the safety of schools.
Christopher Okello Onyum, the defendant, was found guilty of killing the infants aged between two and three in an attack on April 2 in the city, Kampala.
Court hearings heard Onyum stabbed the youngsters in an attack that lasted just a few minutes before being detained at the scene by a security guard. The event angered the public, and irate residents reportedly tried to attack him before officials stepped in.
Presiding judge Alice Komuhangi Khaukha said the murders were planned, with evidence including frightening searches such as “schools near me” on the suspect’s phone and computer and references to extreme violence.
Onyum denied the charges and his defence had argued he was mentally ill and should not be held criminally responsible. However, the judge dismissed the insanity plea, saying the level of planning showed evident intent.
The case has rekindled a discussion over the death penalty in Uganda, where capital punishment remains on the books for heinous crimes like murder but where executions have not been carried out for nearly two decades.
The country’s schools are still reeling from the shock of the attack and authorities believe the tragedy has sparked increased requests for tougher security measures in schools across the country.
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