By Nanteza Ruth Walusimbi
NATIONAL
The Supreme Court of Uganda has set Thursday, February 26, to deliver its ruling on an application by former National Peasants Party presidential candidate, Robert Kasibante, seeking to withdraw his petition challenging the re-election of President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Kaguta Museveni.
According to a notice issued by the Registrar, the court will deliver its decision in the Presidential Election Petition on February 26 or soon thereafter, whether or not the parties are present.
Kasibante had sued President Museveni, the Electoral Commission of Uganda and the Attorney General, challenging the outcome of the January 15, 2026 presidential election.
In his Notice of Motion, Kasibante is seeking leave of court to withdraw both the main petition and a related application in which he had requested a nationwide audit and discovery of election materials.
These include biometric voter verification records, scanners, servers and election returns used during the polls.
The application is brought under Section 63 of the Presidential Elections Act and Rule 20 of the Presidential Election Petitions Rules. He is also asking court to order that each party bears its own legal costs.
In an affidavit supporting his request, Kasibante says the decision to withdraw the petition is mainly due to the high financial and technical demands required to conduct a nationwide forensic audit of electoral materials.
He explains that processing the vast amount of data needed to substantiate his claims would require highly specialized and independent forensic experts, whose services he says are beyond his financial means.
In the substantive petition, Kasibante had alleged widespread non-compliance with the Constitution and electoral laws, including claims of ungazetted polling stations, irregularities in tallying and transmission of results, and alleged failures in the use of biometric voter verification machines.
However, during submissions, his legal team reportedly acknowledged difficulties in identifying specific polling stations or particular irregularities without access to the Electoral Commission’s internal systems.
Lawyers representing President Museveni described the allegations as broad and lacking specificity, while the Electoral Commission denied any irregularities, maintaining that the election was conducted in accordance with the law.
Under Uganda’s electoral laws, a presidential election petition can only be withdrawn with the leave of court, and the Supreme Court is required to determine such matters within strict constitutional timelines.
If the court grants the application, it will formally bring to an end the only petition challenging President Museveni’s victory in the 2026 presidential election.
