A court in Uganda has sentenced a Ugandan-American man to death for the killing of four very young children at a kindergarten in the country’s capital, Kampala.

Christopher Okello Onyum was arrested on April 2 while attempting to flee the daycare centre where the children, aged between 15 months and two-and-a-half years, were killed.

According to prosecutors, Onyum admitted to carrying out the attack, claiming he believed it would bring him wealth through what he described as “human sacrifice,” although he later pleaded not guilty during court proceedings.

The presiding judge dismissed arguments that he was insane, stating that the deliberate and calculated nature of the act showed clear planning.

The judge also noted that the convict displayed no remorse throughout the trial and failed to offer any apology to the victims’ families.

During the proceedings, the court heard that Onyum had searched online for violent extremist content, including Islamic State beheading videos, as well as information about local schools with young children.

However, authorities said there was no confirmed political or religious motive behind the attack.

Testimony presented in court included accounts from a staff member at the Ggaba Early Childhood Development Centre, who initially thought the suspect was disciplining a child before realising the severity of the situation.

She described how she questioned him, only to notice one of the children unresponsive nearby. She said he then approached another child while holding a knife.

In an attempt to intervene, she threw a bicycle at him, which briefly disrupted his actions, but he then pursued her, forcing her to flee.

Parents of the victims also testified, recounting their final moments with their children before dropping them off at the kindergarten, the distressing calls they later received, and the eventual confirmation at the hospital.

The case has drawn widespread attention and condemnation, with the sentencing marking a significant conclusion to the trial.