Kyambadde Amelia Anne has been given two weeks to appear in court following the clearance of substituted service in an election petition filed by Kiyaga Hillary Innocent.
Kiyaga had petitioned the court on March 26, 2026, seeking an extension of time to file his application and effect service on Kyambadde, whom he accused of deliberately evading court documents.
According to Kiyaga, his process server, Thomas Mukama, received an endorsed copy of the notice of presentation of the petition on March 23, 2026, along with the petition itself, intended for service on Kyambadde. However, all attempts to reach her proved unsuccessful.
Efforts to locate her included visiting her known residence in Mpigi District and contacting her through her known phone number, but she could not be found.
“The process server was unable to effect personal service on Amelia, who is deliberately evading service. The only option left is substituted service,” Kiyaga told the court.
In its ruling, the court emphasized the sensitive nature of election petitions and the importance of ensuring that respondents are properly notified to allow a fair hearing.
Justice Deepa Verma found that Kiyaga had taken all reasonable steps to serve Kyambadde but had been unsuccessful, justifying the use of alternative methods. The court allowed substituted service, which includes publication of the notice in newspapers such as New Vision and Daily Monitor, posting on the notice board of the High Court in Mpigi, and sending documents to Kyambadde via her known WhatsApp number.
Kyambadde has now been ordered to appear before the court within two weeks to respond to the petition. Costs of the application will be determined in the main petition.
