The Supreme Court of Uganda today dismissed a procedural request by former National Peasants Party presidential candidate Robert Kasibante, who sought to delay proceedings and compel the Electoral Commission (EC) to produce internal documents and subject its biometric voter verification system to a forensic audit ahead of the main petition hearing.
The ruling underscored the court’s priority to keep the election challenge on schedule under constitutional time limits.
Kasibante, who filed a challenge on January 17 seeking to annul the January 15, 2026 presidential election, had asked the apex court to adjourn the hearing on his substantive application until the EC complied with orders to disclose key electoral materials and permit forensic analysis of the biometric voter machines deployed during the polls. His legal team argued that access to these materials was essential to substantiate claims of irregularities and violations of the Constitution and electoral laws. 
Today’s ruling, delivered by the Supreme Court bench, led by the new Chief Justice , Flavian Zeija, rejected that request, effectively clearing the way for the scheduled hearing to proceed without the adjournment and additional forensic inspections that Kasibante sought.
The court’s decision signals that the dispute will move forward within the stringent timelines mandated under Article 104 of the Constitution, which requires presidential election petitions to be determined promptly.
The core of Kasibante’s petition alleges that the electoral process was marred by irregularities, including alleged failures in biometric voter verification and broader questions about the independence and conduct of the EC. However, with this procedural hurdle removed, the Supreme Court is expected to focus on the substantive merits of the petition, weighing the evidence and legal arguments from both sides. 
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s legal defence, led by K&K Advocates represented by Usaama Sebuufu and Edwin Karugire has already filed a formal response denying all substantive allegations.
Museveni 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 now expected to proceed with the next stage of hearings, during which the justices will hear detailed submissions from both parties and consider evidence on whether the 2026 election results should be upheld or invalidated. The decision will be closely watched, given its significant implications for Uganda’s democratic governance and political landscape.
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 th…
