Uganda’s Supreme Court closes election case challenging Museveni as petitioner abandons bid

In a decision delivered in Kampala by a nine-judge panel led by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, the court allowed Kasibante to withdraw Presidential Election Petition No. 01 of 2026. The judges were unanimous on the withdrawal, with a dissent limited to the issue of costs.

Kasibante had asked the court on February 5, 2026, to withdraw both the main petition and a related application seeking access to backend electoral data held by the Electoral Commission. He said he lacked the funds for a nationwide forensic audit of election materials, including biometric voter verification systems and servers, and conceded that without the evidence he sought, the petition could not meet the required standard of proof.

The respondents, President Museveni, the Electoral Commission and the Attorney General, did not oppose the withdrawal but requested that the petition be dismissed with costs, saying they had spent significant resources defending the case.

The court said presidential election petitions are matters of high constitutional importance and warned they should not be filed casually, given the logistical and financial implications. It concluded that the evidence on record was insufficient to sustain the petition and ruled, "Presidential Election Petition No. 01 of 2026 is hereby withdrawn."

Veteran President Yoweri Museveni was declared the landslide winner of Uganda's presidential election in January, extending his rule into a fifth decade after a contest marred by violent incidents and allegations of fraud.

Uganda's electoral commission said Museveni had received just under 72% of the vote. His main challenger, the pop singer-turned-politician Bobi Wine, was credited with 24%.