KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Supreme Court of Uganda has formally granted former Presidential Aspirant Robert Kasibante permission to withdraw his petition, bringing an end to the legal challenge against the results of the January 15, 2026 presidential election.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The development was confirmed on Thursday, February 26th, 2026, in a ruling delivered by a panel of justices presided over by Dr. Flavian Zeija, who is the Chief Justice of Uganda.
The court accepted Mr. Kasibante’s application to withdraw the petition, a move that effectively affirmed incumbent Yoweri Museveni as the legally elected President.
Mr. Kasibante, who ran under the National Peasants Party (NPP), had initially approached the Supreme Court to contest the Electoral Commission’s declaration of President Museveni as the winner.
His petition alleged widespread irregularities, including failure by the Electoral Commission to gazette over 15,000 polling stations, as well as incidents of voter bribery, intimidation, and the abuse of government resources.
Kasibante’s legal team cited the prohibitive costs and the immense technical demands associated with pursuing a case of such magnitude as the primary reasons for abandoning the challenge.
The Supreme Court, in its ruling on the withdrawal application, granted Mr. Kasibante leave to withdraw his petition and went further to make a significant decision on legal fees.
The justices ordered that each party bears its own costs, a departure from the typical practice where the withdrawing party might be liable for the respondent’s expenses.
Kasibante welcomed the court’s ruling, expressing appreciation for its consideration and noting that the costs order recognized the petitioner’s limited resources, preventing a financially crippling outcome.
With the dismissal of the petition, the legal challenge to the 2026 election results is now concluded, solidifying President Museveni’s victory in the eyes of the law.
About the Author
