NRM candidate Daniel Kananura wants to abandon his challenge to George Musisi’s Kira Municipality parliamentary victory after evidence was presented, but the NUP legislator is demanding reimbursement of legal costs.
Daniel Kananura, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidate who challenged George Musisi’s victory in the 2026 Kira Municipality parliamentary election, has asked the High Court in Wakiso to allow him to withdraw his petition, triggering an objection from the incumbent legislator, who wants to recover the costs of defending his election.
The application was made before the High Court in Nabweru after the parties had presented their evidence, with the case approaching the stage of final submissions ahead of a decision on the election dispute.
Musisi and his legal team opposed the withdrawal, arguing that Kananura should not be allowed to abandon the proceedings without taking responsibility for the expenses incurred in defending the petition.
“You will pay me back for the money I have spent,” Musisi told the court, insisting that Kananura should compensate him for the costs arising from the case.
The exchange reportedly drew laughter in court as the petitioner sought to discontinue proceedings that had already progressed through the presentation and examination of evidence.
In explaining his decision, Kananura reportedly claimed that some lawyers along Nkrumah Road had misled him into pursuing the petition. He said he had reconsidered his position and wanted to abandon the challenge.
Musisi, however, maintained that the resources and time invested in defending his victory could not simply be disregarded because Kananura had changed his mind.
The court must now determine whether to permit the withdrawal and what conditions, particularly regarding legal costs, should apply.
How the Kira Election Dispute Started
The petition arose from the 2026 parliamentary elections, in which Musisi, who contested on the National Unity Platform (NUP) ticket, defeated Kananura to retain the Kira Municipality parliamentary seat.
According to results cited in the dispute, Musisi secured 21,571 votes against Kananura’s 6,927.
Dissatisfied with the outcome, Kananura petitioned the High Court, alleging that the Electoral Commission colluded with Musisi to inflate the latter’s votes.
His challenge partly centred on alleged discrepancies between figures recorded on declaration of results forms and those used to announce the election outcome.
Musisi disputed the allegations and defended his victory, while the Electoral Commission was also named as a respondent in the case.
The proceedings subsequently went through several stages, including applications by the parties and the presentation of evidence.
In an earlier ruling, High Court Judge George Okello dismissed Kananura’s application to amend his election petition. The court also ordered him to pay part of the costs incurred by Musisi and the Electoral Commission in responding to that application.
The latest request to withdraw the petition comes after the parties had presented their evidence, raising questions about responsibility for the legal expenses accumulated during the proceedings.
Justice Okello had scheduled Wednesday this week to deliver a ruling on the application to withdraw the petition.
Musisi’s objection means the court must consider the arguments against discontinuing the proceedings before determining whether Kananura can abandon the challenge and under what conditions.
The ruling is expected to address the withdrawal request and the question of legal costs, although the outcome remains in the hands of the court.
The application marks a significant development in the dispute over Musisi’s election, which has remained under judicial scrutiny since Kananura challenged the results.