Ggaba daycare murders: Suspect was 'not insane'

This episode unpacks the Ggaba daycare killings, where four toddlers lost their lives in a brutal and carefully planned attack. As investigations deepen, new claims have emerged from Florence Nansamba linking 39-year-old suspect Christopher Okello Onyum, to an earlier child’s death, while medical assessments indicate he was of sound mind. 

Transcript

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On a quiet Thursday morning in Gabakampala, what began as a normal day at a daycare center ended in one of the most disturbing acts of violence the country has seen in recent years. And at the center of it all, a man who had just returned home after two decades abroad. You are listening to the New Vision CSI Crime Stories podcast with reporting by Stuat Yiga and Charles Setukuri. This is the story of Christopher Okelo Onyum and how investigators believe this attack was planned. Christopher Okelo Onyum is not just any suspect. He holds dual citizenship, Ugandan and American, and had spent more than 20 years living in the United States before returning to Uganda in November 2025. He had been working in Northern Virginia as a nursing assistant, but his return home was anything but straightforward. Investigators are now trying to determine whether he came back willingly or whether he was forced to leave. According to detectives, O'Neum's father, a retired senior accountant, wanted him to remain in the United States with his siblings, but O'Neum had other plans. He wanted to come back to Uganda and farm. That disagreement appears to have shaped his decisions in the months leading up to the attack. After returning, his father helped him settle first in Boonga Kampala suburb, then on family land in Nuoya district. But once again, Onyum walked away. He abandoned the farm, returned to Kampala, and moved into Chianja. Just weeks later, the killings would happen. Investigators now believe the attack began days before anyone realized. On Tuesday evening, two days before the killings, Onyoung visited the daycare center. He introduced himself as a parent looking for admission. Staff told him it was late. He should return on Thursday. He left quietly. But detectives believe that visit was no accident. It may have been a dry run, a chance to observe routines, entrances, vulnerabilities. April 2nd, Thursday morning. At around 6 a.m., Onyoum leaves Jianja. He makes several stops. In Bunga and near the old taxi park, he purchases knives, many knives. He also acquires padlocks. By 9 30 a.m. he arrives at Gabba Early Childhood Development Center. Calm, composed, still playing the role of a parent. He pays 180,000 shillings in admission fees using mobile money. Everything appears normal until it isn't. Within minutes, he locks the main gate, locks administrators inside their office, then walks toward the children's play area. Four children are there, unaware, unprotected, and what follows is brutal. Four children aged between one and a half and two and a half years are killed. But the attack doesn't go unnoticed. A border border rider across the road sees something wrong. He climbs over the fence, confronts the suspect, raises alarm, and within minutes residents gather. The crowd turns violent. Police arrive in time. They rescue Onyum from being lynched, but tensions spill into the streets, tear gases fired, gunshots ring out to disperse the crowd. Parents rush in, desperate, panicked, but are held back. Some are about to learn the worst news of their lives.

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But our ultimate objective is to see that the victims get justice and we hold this perpetrator accountable.

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Initially processed through the Criminal Investigations Directorate in Kibuli. Under Ugandan law, a suspect in a capital offense like murder must be produced in court within 48 hours. However, such cases are only mentioned at the magistrate's court level. Bail is not granted at this stage.

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Number one, murder, work at section 171, 172 of the Penal Contract Cup 128. On the second day of April this year, I Gawa Richard Booking Project Center, Gava Trading Zone, Gava Pash, Mark Division, Kampara District, with Mines Aquatol, unlawfully caused the death of a tecu.

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On Wednesday, April 8th, the case was forwarded to the High Court, which has jurisdiction to try capital offenses. Sources indicate that O'Neum has already recorded a statement. He has also undergone a medical and mental health evaluation. According to the director of public prosecutions, he is not insane. Medical and psychiatric assessments found him to be of sound mind, capable of understanding his actions.

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On 31st July 2025, a copy of the driving permit shall be relied upon at trial. The accused previously applied for and acquired the land driving permit in Uganda, which expired in the year 2023. On November 28, 2025, the accused applied for and was issued with a certificate of good conduct by the Directorate of Interpol and International Relations.

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On the 20th of March 2026, investigators recovered a blood-stained knife believed to have been used in the attack, along with two others found in his possession. Postmortem reports indicate the children died from shock resulting from severe injuries. He appeared in court calm. Detectives have also searched his residence in Chianja. They recovered documents, including his American passport. Prosecutors are now building a case that may rely heavily on premeditation, his movements before the attack, and his mental state. Police have heard Onyum may have previously been involved in the killing of a young stepbrother, a case reported years ago in northern Uganda. That detail has raised even more questions. But investigators are cautious because the evidence so far suggests something else planning, preparation, deliberate action. Four children are gone, families are shattered, and a community is still in shock and searching for answers. Why did he return? What pushed him to act? And was this truly about mental illness or something far more calculated? As the case moves through Uganda's courts, those questions may finally be answered. This is a developing story. You've been listening to the New Vision CSI Crime Stories podcast with reporting by Stuatiga and Charles Setukuri. For updates on this case and others, follow us at New Vision Wire across platforms.