Museveni, EC, Attorney General Back Kasibante’s Withdrawal of Election Petition
Robert kasibante in court
By skika reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Electoral Commission (EC), and the Attorney General have informed the Supreme Court that they do not oppose former National Peasants Party (NPP) presidential candidate Robert Kasibante’s application to withdraw his petition challenging the January 15, 2026 presidential election results. However, all three have asked the court to award them costs.
In affidavits filed in response to Kasibante’s Notice of Motion, the respondents argued that the petition could not be successfully prosecuted based on the pleadings and evidence submitted. Enoch Barata, NRM’s Director of Legal Services, stated that Museveni was validly elected in a free and fair election and had no objection to the withdrawal but requested that costs be awarded to the first respondent.
“The implication is that the petitioner is abandoning his petition and should therefore bear the costs incurred by the respondents in defending the petition,” Barata said.
The EC, represented by Commissioner and advocate Stephen Tashobya, and the Attorney General, represented by Deputy AG Jackson Kafuuzi Karugaba, took similar positions. Both confirmed there was no agreement or settlement with Kasibante regarding the withdrawal and emphasised that the presidential election was conducted in compliance with the Constitution and relevant electoral laws.
Kasibante filed his withdrawal application on February 5, citing the prohibitive financial and technical demands of auditing nationwide election data. His affidavit noted that verifying election materials—including biometric voter records, scanners, and servers—would require specialised forensic experts at costs beyond his means.
The withdrawal follows a Supreme Court session where a nine-justice panel, led by Chief Justice Flavian Zeija, framed four issues for determination in Kasibante’s petition. Kasibante had indicated he intended to call eight witnesses to support allegations of irregularities, including claims of ungazetted polling stations and disputed tallying of results. The EC denied these claims.
The Supreme Court has yet to set a date to hear Kasibante’s withdrawal application. If granted, it will formally end the challenge to Museveni’s re-election.
