Why Kasibante Seeks to Withdraw 2026 Presidential Election Petition

Kampala, Uganda — Presidential election petitioner Kasibante Robert has formally applied to withdraw his petition challenging the results of the 2026 presidential election, citing prohibitive costs and the complexity of conducting a nationwide forensic audit of electoral systems.

In a Notice of Motion filed before the Supreme Court, Kasibante seeks leave to withdraw Presidential Election Petition No. 1 of 2026, which named President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the Electoral Commission, and the Attorney General as respondents.

The application, brought under Section 63 of the Presidential Elections Act and Rule 20 of the Presidential Election (Election Petitions) Rules, also seeks permission to withdraw Miscellaneous Application No. 1 of 2026, which had sought an audit of election returns, Biometric Voter Verification (BVV) records, scanners, and servers used in the electoral process.

According to the grounds outlined in the application, the discovery process would require the processing of a vast volume of electronic data across the country, making it logistically complex and financially unviable for the petitioner. The estimated cost of executing the audit and analyzing the data was described as “exponentially high and prohibitive.”

Kasibante further notes that the scope of the requested audit would necessitate the engagement of highly specialised and independent forensic technical experts to examine election returns, BVV records, scanners, and servers nationwide.

The petitioner is also asking the court to order that each party bears its own costs in relation to both the petition and the accompanying application, and to issue any other orders the court may deem just.

The Supreme Court is expected to fix a date for hearing the application. If granted, the withdrawal would bring to an end one of the legal challenges arising from the 2026 presidential election.