KAMPALA: Child rights organization High Sound for Children has expressed deep sadness and outrage over the horrific killing of 4 children in Ggaba, an upscale suburb in Kampala yesterday, describing it as a grave violation of children’s rights.
Police are investigating the horrific killing of children at Ggaba Childhood Development Program School in Kampala’s Makindye Division, an incident that has left families grieving and the country in shock.
A knife-wielding man masquerading as a parent yesterday stormed the facility and brutally stabbed and killed the toddlers aged between one and three years.
In a statement released on Friday morning, the organization Executive Director Ms. Hadijah Mwanje emphasized that children should never face violence in places meant for their care and protection and have the right to safety, dignity, and life.
She is calling for mandatory safety protocols such as staff vetting and controlled access.
“This is not only a tragedy for their family, but also a grave reminder that every child has a right to safety, protection,and dignity in life. Children should never be exposed to violence in places which are meant to nature, education or even to protect them,” Hadijah said.
The assailant identified as 34-year old Christopher Okello Onyu was apprehended and according to Ms Racheal Kawala, the police spokesperson for Kampala Metropolitan area, the motive for the attack is being investigated.
According to eyewitnesses, Okello disguised himself as a parent and first entered the school’s administration office, before stepping outside, locked the gate and began attacking children one after another, leaving four dead.
Teachers quickly raised an alarm, prompting the suspect to attempt to escape but was apprehended by a security guard from the nearby Ggaba Community Church.
Angry residents who flooded the crime scene attempted to lynch the suspect before police intervened, rescuing and bundling him onto a police pick-up truck.
The incident drew the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Abbas Byakagaba who rushed to the scene moments after receiving reports of the attack and called for calm as security operatives conducted investigations.
“We call upon anyone with information about the suspect to give to police to aid investigations”, Mr Byakagaba told journalists at the scene.
