Kampala, Uganda: The Supreme Court in Kampala has rejected a bid by former presidential candidate Robert Kasibante to adjourn proceedings in his election petition, clearing the way for the hearing to proceed within the strict constitutional timelines governing presidential election disputes.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, the apex court dismissed Kasibante’s application seeking to delay the hearing and compel the Electoral Commission to produce internal documents and submit its biometric voter verification machines to a forensic audit ahead of the substantive hearing.
Kasibante, who contested on the National Peasants Party ticket, filed his petition on January 17, challenging the outcome of the January 15, 2026 presidential election. His lawyers argued that access to EC materials and forensic examination of biometric machines was critical to substantiate allegations of electoral irregularities and violations of the Constitution and electoral laws.
However, the highest Court of the land ruled that granting the adjournment would undermine the timelines set under Article 104 of the Constitution, which requires presidential election petitions to be heard and determined expeditiously.
The decision means the court will proceed to hear the petition without the additional disclosures and forensic inspections sought by the petitioner.
Kasibante’s petition raises questions about the conduct and independence of the Electoral Commission, including alleged failures in biometric voter verification during the polls. With the procedural application dismissed, the court is now expected to focus squarely on the substantive merits of the petition.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, through his legal team from K&K Advocates, led by senior counsels Usaama Sebuufu, Anthony Bazira and Edwin Karugire, has already filed a formal response denying all allegations.
The President maintains that the election was conducted in full compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Commission Act and the Presidential Elections Act, and argues that the petition is legally defective and unsupported by evidence.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue directions on the next stage of the hearing, where justices will receive detailed submissions from both sides and consider whether the 2026 presidential election results should be upheld or nullified.
The outcome is being closely watched for its implications on Uganda’s electoral jurisprudence and broader democratic governance.
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