Uganda kindergarten killings trial begins as defendant pleads not guilty

A case that has shocked Uganda is now taking center stage in court. In Kampala, the trial of Christopher Okello Onyum has officially begun. He stands accused of killing four young children in a crime that has gripped the nation.

Despite prosecutors saying he previously admitted to the killings, Onyum has pleaded not guilty.

“I plead not guilty to this charge, my lord,” he told the court.

Onyum is accused of fatally stabbing the children at a kindergarten. He was arrested on April 2 while allegedly trying to flee the scene and has denied all four counts of murder.

Public reaction has been strong, with some Ugandans expressing frustration over the pace of the judicial process.

Swabrah Kirabo, a university student, said the case could drag on, reflecting concerns about delays in the legal system.

Prosecutors say that in an earlier hearing, Onyum confessed to the killings. The victims were aged between just 15 months and two and a half years.

He allegedly claimed he believed the act of so-called “human sacrifice” would make him rich, an assertion that has added another layer of shock to an already devastating case.