The suspect in the Ggaba daycare killings, Christopher Onyum Okello, disclosed a history of mental illness during a medical examination, court heard on Thursday.
Dr Emmanuel Nuwamanya, the Deputy Director of Police Health Services, testified that during his assessment of the accused on April 7, 2026, Okello reported having previously suffered from a mental condition characterised by auditory and visual hallucinations.
According to Dr Nuwamanya, the suspect said the condition had been treated between 2016 and 2025.
He further told court that Okello linked his alleged actions to “fortune hunting and enrichment,” claiming he had been influenced by childhood folk tales associating wealth with human sacrifice.
However, Dr Nuwamanya noted that while the account pointed to a possible history of psychotic episodes, it could not be independently verified.
He added that at the time of examination, the suspect did not exhibit any signs of mental instability that would have impaired his judgment.
“Based on my assessment, he was mentally stable and did not show symptoms that would have influenced his actions,” Dr Nuwamanya told court.
In a separate testimony, Dr Rogers Agenda, a psychiatrist at C-Care IHK, said he examined Okello on December 30, 2025, and found no evidence of mental illness.
“He had never taken psychiatric medication. He disclosed that he suffers from sickle cell disease and was on regular treatment,” Dr Agenda said.
The psychiatrist added that the suspect reported no family history of mental illness and said his parents were alive and well.
“Following a psychiatric interview and mental state examination, I found no mental disorder. He was mentally fit to live and work,” Dr Agenda testified during cross-examination.
Prosecution alleges that on April 2, 2026, at Ggaba Trading Centre in Makindye Division, Kampala, Okello, with malice aforethought, killed four children at a daycare centre.
The victims have been identified as Eteku Gideon, Keisha Agenorwoth Otim, Sseruyange Ignitius and Odeke Ryan, all aged between 18 months and two and a half years.
Court heard that the suspect had earlier visited the facility seeking admission for his child and was asked to return later. He reportedly came back, paid the required fees, and shortly afterwards allegedly carried out the attack.
