KAMPALA, Uganda — Presidential candidate Robert Kasibante filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking to nullify the reelection of President Yoweri Museveni, alleging the 2026 vote was marred by widespread irregularities and violence.
The petition, filed under the country’s constitutional provisions for challenging presidential results, names Museveni, the Electoral Commission and the attorney general as respondents.
The Electoral Commission declared Museveni the winner Jan. 17 with more than 7.9 million votes. Kasibante, who ran on the Peasants Party ticket, was credited with 33,440 votes. Other candidates included Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, who received about 2.7 million votes, and Nathan Nandala Mafabi, who garnered 209,039 votes.
Kasibante contends the electoral process failed to comply with the law in a way that substantially affected the outcome. In his supporting affidavit, he alleged the Electoral Commission failed to act independently and instead operated under the influence of the president and other state actors.
The petition details allegations of violence and intimidation by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and the police. Kasibante claims security forces harassed opposition candidates and supporters, using tear gas and physical assaults to disrupt campaign activities.
The violence inflicted upon the candidates by the armed forces was carried out under the direction of the First Respondent, Kasibante stated in the petition, referring to Museveni as the supreme commander of the military.
The legal challenge also questions the technical integrity of the Jan. 15 election. Kasibante alleges the commission failed to gazette approximately 15,256 polling stations, nearly 30 percent of the national total, before the vote. He argued that results from these stations should not have been included in the final tally.
Additionally, the petition challenges the use of biometric voter verification machines, claiming they were deployed without a proper legal framework and that the software architecture remained undisclosed, making the systems susceptible to tampering.
Other grievances cited in the filing include the misuse of state resources for Museveni’s campaign and unequal media coverage from state-owned outlets.
Kasibante is asking the court to nullify the results and order a fresh election. The respondents have 10 days to file their replies.
