KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Judiciary is set to begin hearing 346 election petitions arising from the January 2026 parliamentary and local council elections on Monday, 14 September, in what officials describe as one of the largest coordinated election-dispute hearings in the country’s recent history.
The petitions, filed against the outcomes of races decided in January’s general election, are pending before 30 High Court circuits, the High Court Civil Division in Kampala, and 26 Chief Magistrates’ Courts across the country.
To manage the volume, the Judiciary has deployed 100 judicial officers — 48 High Court judges assigned to handle 157 petitions, and 52 Chief Magistrates handling the remaining 189.
Hearing schedule
High Court hearings begin Monday 14, September 2026 and are expected to run until Friday, 13 November, while petitions before the Chief Magistrates’ Courts start a week later, on 21 September, with a target completion date of 30 October.
Principal Judge Lady Justice Jane Frances Abodo issued Administrative Circular No. 5 of 2026, directing all assigned judges to prioritise the election petitions above other judicial work and dedicate their full attention to seeing the cases through to conclusion.
Of the total petitions filed, the majority challenge parliamentary election results, while a smaller number concern Local Council outcomes.
Uganda’s electoral law requires such petitions to be determined within a prescribed timeline to limit prolonged uncertainty over contested seats.
Judiciary officials have said the scale of this year’s exercise — nearly double the roughly 160 petitions registered after the 2021 elections — reflects both a competitive election cycle and growing public willingness to challenge results in court.
High-profile contests among the petitions
Several closely watched races are among the petitions now heading to hearing. National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Hillary Innocent Kiyaga, popularly known as Dr Hilderman, the incumbent Mawokota North MP, is challenging the declared victory of former Trade and Cooperatives Minister Amelia Kyambadde, with the Electoral Commission also named as a respondent.
In western Uganda, former Rushenyi County MP Mwesigwa Robert Rukaari has petitioned against the election of businessman-turned-politician Christopher Bakashaba in Mbarara.
In the east, former Tororo District Woman MP Sarah Opendi Achieng is contesting the election of Angella Akoth before the High Court in Tororo.
A separate petition sees Birungi Kobusingye challenging the election of NUP’s Harriet Nakwedde as Kayunga District Woman MP.
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Decisions reached by the High Court in parliamentary election disputes may be appealed to the Court of Appeal, which serves as the final court of arbitration for such cases. The Judiciary has said it has conducted training for Court of Appeal justices in anticipation of appeals once the High Court rulings begin.
The marathon hearing schedule represents a significant logistical undertaking for Uganda’s courts, requiring judges to be temporarily redeployed to circuits handling the heaviest caseloads and to set aside other judicial business for the duration of the exercise.
Judiciary officials have expressed confidence that the cases will be resolved within the constitutionally mandated timelines, though the scale of this year’s petition count — and the profile of some of the contests involved — is likely to keep the process under close public and political scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
