By Rachael Najjuma

24th February 2021

The former National Unity Platform (NUP) party presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu has finally made an application in Supreme Court asking for the withdrawal of his presidential election petition that was pending hearing.

Kyagulanyi through his lawyers led by Medard Lubega Sseggona today morning filed the application seeking leave to withdrawal the entire petition.

Among the reasons he has raised for the withdrawal of the petition are that his witnesses are being abducted, tortured, harassed and intimidated by state security operatives at the watch of Museveni who is the first respondent and the Attorney General who is the third respondent.

He also argues that the organs of the state like Uganda Police Force and National Identification of Registrations of Persons Authority -NIRA are being used by the respondents to investigate and infringe on his privacy and on the privacy of his witnesses among others.

According to his Affidavit supporting the application, Kyagulanyi’s decision to withdraw the Petition has been influenced by the foregoing factors and not by any corrupt bargain or consideration from the respondents or any other person.

Kyagulanyi ran to court after being dissatisfied with the outcomes of the presidential elections where president Museveni was declared a winner with 6.04 million votes representing (58.38%) against Kyagulanyi who got 3.6 million votes (35.08%).

However while guiding court today the chief justice Alphose Owiny-Dollo has asked the petitioner to endeavor to see to it that the application is gazetted in the national gazette since it had not be done yet it is one of the rules to be followed before the application is heard and at least two days have been granted to the Kyagulanyi’s lawyers to finalize all the withdraw of the case legal requirements.

It is on this note that he adjourned the matter to further notice until the application is gazetted and it’s ready to be heard.


Thursday 25th February 2021 09:28:41 AM