DAYCARE TODDLER KILLER: Christopher Okello's Unsworn Statement

 BY: MIYINGO Ivan, MPhil, B. Pharm, MPS

TODDLER KILLER: Unsworn Statement

Christopher Okello tells the court that between January and March 2026, he believed certain people were following him, threatening him, and demanding money. 

According to his account, this left him constantly on the run, hiding, and at times sleeping on the street. He says this period pushed him into extreme psychological distress.

In that context, he tells the judge that he had tried several desperate actions, including trying to flee the country, attempting to rob a bank, and trying to harm his brother’s family.

He presents these incidents as part of the same troubling episode, suggesting that the people he referred to as “friends-turned-adversaries” had something to do with his actions and state of mind at the time.

Importantly, this statement was not a confession to the Ggaba murders themselves. 

In the same testimony, he maintained that he did not intentionally cause the deaths of the four children, which is the core issue in the murder trial. 

His defence seems to be built around denying intent while describing a period of mental and emotional disturbance leading up to the incident.

So, the unsworn statement refers to other acts he says he attempted before April 2, not a direct admission that he intentionally committed the daycare toddler killings.

The Commentary

Christopher Okello’s defence before the court is centered on denying intentional responsibility for the deaths of the four children rather than issuing a complete denial that the deaths occurred while he was involved in the events. 

In his unsworn statement, he tells the court that he did not intentionally cause the toddler’s deaths and argues that the prosecution has failed to prove deliberate intention or malice aforethought, which is one of the key legal requirements for a murder conviction. 

His position is therefore not a straightforward confession to murder, but rather a legal argument that even if he was connected to the incident, the prosecution had not established that he acted with the intention to kill.

He also challenged earlier statements that had been interpreted as a confession, claiming that they were made under pressure and coercion. 

According to his account, he gave statements that were acceptable to those questioning him at the time because he felt forced to do so. 

In addition, he raised issues surrounding his psychological state during the period leading up to the incident, suggesting that he was going through severe distress and that his mental condition may not have been fully understood or properly assessed. 

Taken together, his defence seeks to persuade the court that the deaths were not the result of deliberate murderous intent, and that the charge of murder should therefore not be sustained.

What is an unsworn statement ?

An unsworn statement is a statement an accused person gives in court without taking an oath or making a formal promise to tell the truth. 

The accused person is allowed to speak directly to the judge and explain their side of the story, but they do so without being sworn in as a witness.

The most important feature of an unsworn statement is that, because it is not given under oath, the prosecution is usually not allowed to cross-examine the accused person on it. 

This means the accused can present their version of events, deny allegations, explain circumstances, or raise issues about their mental or emotional state without being questioned immediately by the other side.

In criminal trials, an accused person is often given options after the prosecution finishes presenting its case: they may choose to give sworn evidence, make an unsworn statement, or remain silent. 

If they give sworn evidence, they take an oath and can be cross-examined like any other witness. 

If they choose an unsworn statement, they avoid cross-examination, but the court may sometimes attach less weight to it compared to sworn testimony because it has not been tested through questioning.

Put simply for easier digestion, an unsworn statement is the accused person’s opportunity to tell their side of the story to the court without being questioned by the prosecution afterward.

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Courtsey

FUEL CRISIS in Uganda

Boda-Boda riders are asking mechanics to reduce the jet intake / engine fuel flow so the motorcycle uses less petrol. 

A trip that previously required Shs4,000 in fuel can now be completed for around Shs2,000 after the adjustment.

The mechanics are, to put it simply, adjusting the fuel-air mixture by changing the carburetor jet and intake settings. 

This, in turn, lowers fuel consumption, reduces engine power, reduces acceleration, makes hill climbing harder, and lowers top speed.

The “risky coping mechanisms” part comes from the trade-off.  

When an engine is tuned too lean, it may lead to poor throttle response, stalling in traffic, loss of pulling power when carrying passengers, overheating and faster engine wear, and difficulty overtaking safely. 

This directly affects road safety, especially on busy highways and steep roads.

This is happening because petrol prices have jumped sharply in the past week, with shortages and price spreads reported across Kampala and upcountry towns. 

Some places have seen prices move from around Shs5,500 to as high as Shs8,000 per litre.

Some garages are now seeing around 30 riders a day seeking these adjustments, which shows how widespread the pressure has become. 

Boda-boda riders are trying to stay in business, but some of the fixes may save money today while increasing mechanical and road risks tomorrow.

How does fuel reach Uganda from its source of origin?

Pipeline Network

Uganda receives most of its fuel through an international supply chain because it is a landlocked country and does not yet rely on large-scale local refining for everyday national consumption. 

The journey usually begins at the source of origin, where crude oil is extracted and refined into products such as petrol, diesel, kerosene, and aviation fuel. 

Much of this refined fuel is imported from global refining hubs, particularly from the Middle East and other major oil-producing regions.

[It is/was called the “Middle East” because Europeans described regions of the world based on how far they were from Europe. So the “Middle” in Middle East simply means middle in distance from Europe, not the middle of the world]

From the country of origin, the fuel is transported by large ocean-going tanker ships to the nearest major seaport, which for Uganda is the Port of Mombasa in Kenya. 

Since Uganda has no direct access to the sea, Mombasa serves as the principal gateway through which petroleum products enter the region. 

Once the tanker ships dock and offload their cargo, the fuel is transferred into Kenya’s inland pipeline system, which carries it across the country through key transit points such as Nairobi and further west toward Eldoret and Kisumu.

After reaching these inland depots, the fuel continues its journey into Uganda mainly by road. 

Border Crossing

Large tanker trucks load the fuel and transport it through the Malaba border crossing, one of the busiest trade routes between Kenya and Uganda, before proceeding through Jinja and eventually to Kampala. 

This road corridor is the backbone of Uganda’s fuel supply network, which is why long lines of fuel tankers are often seen along the Kampala–Jinja highway. 

In some cases, fuel may also be moved via Lake Victoria using barges from Kisumu to landing points on the Ugandan side, helping to reduce pressure on the road transport system.

Once inside Uganda, the fuel is delivered to major storage terminals and reservoirs where it is kept before final distribution. 

From these depots, smaller tanker trucks transport the fuel to filling stations across Kampala and the rest of the country, including regional towns and districts. 

It is through this final distribution network that the fuel eventually reaches the pumps used by motorists, boda-boda riders, transport companies, and businesses.

Because this supply chain stretches from international oil producers through maritime transport, cross-border pipelines, road tankers, and local depots, any disruption at any stage can affect fuel availability and prices in Uganda. 

Delays at sea, congestion at the port, pipeline maintenance, border hold-ups, or transport strikes can all quickly lead to shortages or long queues at fuel stations. 

This is why events occurring far beyond Uganda’s borders can have an immediate impact on pump prices and fuel access within the country.

Origin of the word 'Boda-Boda.'

The term “boda-boda” has its roots in East Africa, with its earliest usage strongly associated with the Uganda–Kenya borderlands, where informal bicycle transport services emerged as a practical solution for moving people and small goods across short distances. 

The most widely accepted explanation is that the word developed from the phrase “border to border,” which described how cyclists operated between immigration and trade checkpoints on either side of the border. 

Over time, this phrase was shortened and reshaped through local pronunciation patterns, eventually becoming “boda-boda,” a name that stuck in everyday language.

These early bicycle taxis filled a crucial transport gap in rural and peri-urban areas where formal public transport was limited or unavailable. 

Riders became known for their speed and willingness to navigate rough paths, carrying passengers, luggage, and even urgent deliveries. 

As technology and transport needs evolved, motorcycles gradually replaced bicycles in the 1990s and 2000s, offering faster, more efficient service over longer distances. 

Despite this shift, the original name remained, and “boda-boda” came to represent the entire motorcycle taxi industry that now dominates short-distance transport across Uganda and much of East Africa.

Beyond its practical role, the boda-boda system has grown into a major socio-economic force, providing employment to hundreds of thousands of young people and serving as a vital link in urban mobility. 

It is deeply embedded in daily life, shaping how people commute, trade, and access services. 

The cultural and linguistic importance of the term was later recognized internationally when “boda-boda” was included in the Oxford English Dictionary in 2017. 

This inclusion reflects not only the word’s global usage but also its significance as a product of African urban innovation, where language evolved alongside a transport system that became essential to modern life in the region.

How a word goes into the dictionary

A word enters a dictionary through a careful process of observation, documentation, and evaluation by lexicographers—people whose job is to study language use over time. 

Dictionaries do not simply “decide” to add words because they are popular; instead, they track how words are actually used in real communication, such as books, newspapers, academic writing, social media, speeches, and everyday conversation. 

When a new word or phrase begins to appear repeatedly in different contexts and by different speakers, it draws attention as a potential candidate for inclusion.

The next stage involves collecting evidence of usage, known as citations. Lexicographers gather examples showing how the word is used, what it means in context, and whether its meaning is stable or still changing. 

A key requirement is that the word must show consistent usage over time and not just be a one-time trend or slang that disappears quickly. 

The word must also be used by a wider community, not just a single group or individual, because dictionaries aim to reflect language that has become broadly understood.

Once enough evidence is collected, editors analyze the word’s meaning, grammar, variations in spelling, and pronunciation. 

They also determine its category—whether it is a noun, verb, adjective, or phrase—and write a formal definition that captures its most common and accepted use. 

In many cases, multiple meanings are included if the word has developed different senses in different contexts. 

This step is highly precise, because dictionary definitions must be clear, neutral, and usable across different settings.

After drafting the entry, it goes through editorial review and verification. 

Senior editors check whether the evidence is strong enough and whether the definition is accurate and consistent with the dictionary’s standards. 

If approved, the word is added to the dictionary, often in online versions first, where updates can be made more frequently. 

In printed dictionaries, updates usually happen in new editions or supplements released periodically.

Overall, a word enters the dictionary not by sudden acceptance, but by proving its importance through real-world usage, linguistic stability, and widespread recognition. 

It is essentially a record of how language evolves naturally over time, with dictionaries acting as historians of living speech rather than creators of it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ivan Miyingo Quintus is a Ugandan writer, commentator, pharmacist, digital content creator, and investigative storyteller whose work explores society, culture, public affairs, health, and the human condition. With a voice rooted in observation and critical reflection, he writes to inform, provoke thought, and inspire meaningful conversation.

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