The judge said Christopher Okello Onyum showed no remorse for his actions.
A court in Uganda has sentenced a man to death for the murder of four children at a nursery school in Kampala earlier this month.
The convict, Christopher Okello Onyum, was found guilty of fatally stabbing the children aged between one and three years during an attack on April 2.
According to court proceedings, Onyum gained access to the nursery by posing as a parent before locking the gate and carrying out the attack in under seven minutes. Police said he was later subdued by a security guard after an enraged group of parents attempted to lynch him.
Evidence presented in court showed that the attacker had conducted online searches, including “schools near me” and “ISIS beheadings,” prior to the incident. The presiding judge ruled that the nature of the searches and the execution of the crime demonstrated clear premeditation.
The court dismissed Onyum’s claim of insanity, with the judge noting that the “accurate and precise manner” of the killings indicated deliberate intent. The judge further observed that the convict showed no remorse, having failed to apologise to the victims’ families.
A staff member at the nursery testified that she discovered one of the victims in a pool of blood and was subsequently attacked when she confronted the assailant. She recounted throwing a child’s bicycle at him in an attempt to stop the assault, which briefly caused him to release another child before pursuing her.
Capital punishment remains legal in Uganda, although executions are rare, with the last recorded execution taking place more than two decades ago.
