National Peasants Party (NPP) presidential candidate Robert Kasibante has expressed surprise at his sixth-place finish in the recently concluded presidential election, saying the results did not reflect the level of support he received on the ground.
Speaking during Sanyuka One on One on Tuesday, Kasibante said feedback from voters and reports from his campaign teams had been largely positive, leading him to expect a stronger showing at the polls.
“I received good feedback and our reports were positive. I had a solid plan, so I was shocked to find myself in sixth position,” he said.
Kasibante added that his long-standing involvement in skills development and community empowerment set him apart from other candidates.
“I have been involved in skilling and have helped so many Ugandans. I can’t be compared to Munyagwa. I am a presidential candidate and well-informed,” he said.
Kasibante, contesting for the highest office for the first time, said his performance nonetheless reflected a growing desire for change among voters.
“I did well, considering this was my first time contesting in politics. That shows how much people want change,” he added.
His remarks follow the filing of a presidential election petition in the Supreme Court seeking to overturn President Museveni’s re-election. The petition was lodged under Article 104 of the Constitution and Section 61 of the Presidential Elections Act.
The respondents named in the case are President Museveni, the Electoral Commission (EC), and the Attorney General. In the 352-page petition, Kasibante argues that the election was marred by extensive irregularities, violence, and breaches of the law that substantially affected the outcome.
Key allegations include the failure to gazette 15,256 polling stations—nearly 30 percent of the total—before polling day. Kasibante claims these stations were nevertheless used for voting, counting, and tallying, disadvantaging candidates unable to deploy agents to monitor the process.
The petition also details widespread violence and intimidation, particularly against opposition candidates.
Kasibante alleges that he and others were subjected to harassment, teargas, and physical assaults by security personnel, citing an incident on November 6, 2025, in Namisindwa District where his campaign activities were disrupted by the police and Special Forces Command.
Similar incidents, he claims, affected opposition figures including Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, Nathan Nandala Mafabi, and Mubarak Munyagwa across different regions.
Kasibante places responsibility on President Museveni, accusing security agencies of partisan conduct and unlawful interference.
He further challenges the deployment of Biometric Voter Verification (BVV) machines, claiming they were used without legal clarity, prone to malfunction, and not independently audited.
Frequent failures, he says, forced officials to revert to manual verification, resulting in delays and irregularities.
Additional concerns raised in the petition include discrepancies in counting, tallying, and transmission of results, restricted access to tallying centres, premature announcements, and alleged voter bribery.
According to official results announced by Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama at the National Tally Centre in Lubowa, President Museveni secured 7,946,772 votes (71.65 percent), extending his rule to a seventh term.
His closest challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu of the National Unity Platform (NUP), garnered 2,741,238 votes (24.72 percent), while Kasibante finished sixth with 33,440 votes (0.30 percent).
In his petition, Kasibante is asking the Supreme Court to nullify the presidential election results, declare Museveni not duly elected, order a fresh election, conduct a comprehensive audit of election returns and the BVV system, and award costs of the petition.
The Supreme Court has yet to issue directions on the hearing and determination of the case.
