Why Supreme Court has declared Museveni validly elected President

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The Supreme Court has declared Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as the validly elected President of Uganda.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. (File)

The early morning of February 26, 2026, declaration comes after former presidential candidate Robert Kasibante's application for withdrawal of the petition challenging Museveni’s re-election was allowed by the Supreme Court justices.

The panel consists of Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija, Percy Night Tuhaise, Mike Chibita, Elizabeth Musoke, Stephen Musota, Christopher Madrama, Catherine Bamugemereire, Monica Mugenyi and Muzamiru Kibeedi Mutangula.

Chief Justice Dr Flavian Zeija. (File)

"The petition against the declared candidate having been withdrawn, he is duly elected as the President of Uganda," a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court justices reads in part.

The ruling was read to the parties by Justice Mutangula.

The justices granted the applicant leave to withdraw the petition and an application seeking election audits and discontinued the presidential election proceedings.

The justices noted that the evidence presented to the court by the petitioner is not enough to prove his case.

They observed that the petitioner cannot also sustain his case without carrying out a forensic audit on the elections, which will be costly for him.

The justices stated that even if the court granted the applicant the application for discovery of documents, he cannot afford audit costs of engaging the technical people to carry out the exercise.

Why Kasibante is seeking to withdraw the petition

On February 6, 2026, Kasibante applied to the Supreme Court to withdraw his petition challenging the re-election of Museveni and an application for discovery of documents in which he had sought access to the Electoral Commission (EC) electronic results data, citing a lack of funds to continue paying his lawyers.

Former presidential candidate Robert Kasibante. (File)

He applied to withdraw the applications, citing a lack of funds to continue financing lawyers who are representing him in the election petition and technical demands associated with the proposed nationwide audit.

However, deputy Attorney General Jackson Karugaba Kafuuzi stated that the Government and Kasibante did not execute any agreement regarding the proposed withdrawal of the presidential election petition.

“The Attorney General has not executed any agreement or terms of any kind with the petitioner regarding the proposed withdrawal of the presidential election petition,” Kafuuzi said.

The Attorney General is the principal legal adviser to the Government.

In his affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on February 9, Kafuuzi said the Attorney General has no objection to the withdrawal of the presidential election petition and the application for discovery of documents.

Kafuuzi states that the Attorney General opposed the petition and the application for discovery of documents and had sought their dismissal. Kasibante filed the petition against Museveni, EC and the Attorney General.

He opposed the applications, arguing that the implementation of the orders sought against the Attorney General would be logistically burdensome and expensive.

“The petition cannot be successfully prosecuted or proved on the basis of the petitioner’s pleadings and the evidence filed in the Supreme Court. The petition has no merit,” Kafuuzi contends.

He further argues that the presidential election held on January 15, 2026, was conducted in compliance with the principles and provisions of the Constitution, the Presidential Elections Act, and the Electoral Commission Act.

On January 17, 2026, EC declared Museveni, 81, of the National Resistance Movement (NRM), winner of the elections with 7,946,772 votes, representing 71.65% of the total valid votes.

His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi of the National Unity Platform (NUP), came second with 2,741,238 votes (24.72%) in an eight-candidate race.

The petitioner, Kasibante of the National Peasants Party, came sixth with 33,440 votes (0.3%).