Election petition hearings at Wakiso High Court and its lower courts have stalled, with two High Court judges and four chief magistrates assigned to handle the cases yet to report for duty, two days after the nationwide hearing programme commenced.

The Judiciary scheduled the hearings to begin on Monday as part of a countrywide programme aimed at disposing of 346 parliamentary and local council election petitions arising from the January 2026 General Elections.

High Court hearings are scheduled to run from September 14 to November 13, 2026, with election petitions being given priority over ordinary court business.

Wakiso was allocated two High Court judges to handle ten parliamentary election petitions, while four chief magistrates were assigned to hear 17 local council election cases falling under the station.

However, by Monday, September 14, no election petition hearings had commenced at Wakiso High Court or the lower courts.

Some court staff attributed the delay on Monday to heavy rainfall, while others said the judges and magistrates resident within the Wakiso circuit had already reported to the stations to which they had been reassigned.

The situation remained unchanged on Tuesday, with no hearings taking place.

The petitions had also not been cause-listed on the court system, making it difficult to establish when the cases would be heard.

The delay comes as the Judiciary seeks to fast-track the disposal of election petitions arising from the 2026 General Elections within the prescribed legal timelines.

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