Former Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali Confirmed Dead at 87

A monumental chapter in Uganda’s political and military history has come to a close. General Moses Ali, the country’s veteran politician, retired military officer, and long-serving Member of Parliament for Adjumani West County, has been confirmed dead. He was 87.

According to family associates and senior political leaders, the decorated general breathed his last at approximately 4:25 p.m. on Saturday while receiving intensive medical care at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala. He had been admitted to the private health facility earlier in the week following a deterioration in his health.

His passing was publicly confirmed by several top government officials, including Captain Mike Mukula, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Vice Chairman for Eastern Uganda. In an emotional statement, Mukula mourned the loss of a close friend and a national icon.

Mukula described Gen. Ali as a distinguished patriot, freedom fighter, and statesman who dedicated his life to public service. He extended deep condolences to President Yoweri Museveni, the Government of Uganda, the bereaved family, and the people of Adjumani District and the wider West Nile sub-region.

A Five-Decade Legacy of Military and Public Service

Born on April 5, 1939, Gen. Moses Ali leaves behind a complex and towering legacy that spans over 50 years of Uganda’s turbulent history. His career transitioned seamlessly through various regimes, making him one of the longest-serving figures in the nation’s political landscape.

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Ali served as a senior military commander and Cabinet Minister during Idi Amin’s administration before subsequently leading the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) rebellion in the early 1980s. Following a historic peace agreement with President Museveni’s government in 1986, he and his rebel fighters were integrated into the National Resistance Army (NRA), where he was officially commissioned as a Major General.

Under the NRM government, Gen. Ali proved to be a political survivor and a crucial power broker for the West Nile region. He held several high-profile dockets, including Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Third Deputy Prime Minister, and First Deputy Prime Minister.

Most recently, he served as the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament from 2021 until the formation of a new Cabinet in May 2026. Despite his advancing age and visible health challenges, he retained his parliamentary seat as the legislator for Adjumani West Constituency following the 2026 General Elections, cementing his status as one of Uganda’s longest-serving parliamentarians.

In his final days, concern had been mounting nationwide as family members, including some who traveled from abroad, gathered at Nakasero Hospital holding closed-door meetings.

The government is expected to announce the official burial arrangements shortly, as the nation prepares to accord the veteran statesman a send-off befitting his rank and contribution to the country.