Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali, the veteran military officer and politician whose career stretched from the government of Idi Amin to the administration of President Yoweri Museveni, died on Saturday, July 18, 2026, aged 87.
Ali died at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala at about 4:00pm, according to President Museveni, who described him as a long-serving soldier, political leader and modern farmer whose contribution to Uganda would be greatly missed.
At the time of his death, Ali was the National Resistance Movement Member of Parliament for Adjumani West County. He had taken the oath as a member of Uganda’s 12th Parliament in May, only weeks after retaining the constituency in the January 2026 general elections.
His Cabinet career had ended shortly before his death when President Museveni left him out of the government announced on May 26, 2026. The Office of the Prime Minister said his departure brought to an end more than 50 years of active public service.
President Museveni granted Ali an official burial, with the National Organising Committee working with his family on the funeral arrangements. Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda described him as a distinguished patriot, elder statesman and former Second Deputy Prime Minister.
President Museveni was also expected to join Members of Parliament at a special sitting on Tuesday, July 21, to pay tribute to Ali before his body was flown to Adjumani for burial.
Early life and entry into the military
Moses Ali was born on April 5, 1939, in present-day Adjumani District.
His early years were marked by hardship. Accounts of his life indicate that he lost both parents at a young age and was raised by relatives who supported his education. He attended school in West Nile before continuing his studies in Kampala.
Ali later joined the military, beginning a career that would place him at the centre of some of Uganda’s most turbulent political events.
He rose through the ranks during the government of Idi Amin, who came to power after the 1971 military coup that overthrew President Milton Obote.
Ali subsequently served in senior military and government positions, including as finance minister. His influence within the government and armed forces made him one of the prominent figures of the Amin era.
However, his relationship with Amin deteriorated towards the end of the 1970s. Ali was removed from government and later went into exile as Amin’s administration weakened and eventually collapsed in 1979.
From exile to rebel commander
While in exile, Ali became a leading figure in the Uganda National Rescue Front, commonly known as UNRF.
The armed organisation operated mainly in the West Nile region and southern Sudan during the second government of Milton Obote. The group drew support from former soldiers and communities that had been displaced or affected by fighting after Amin’s overthrow.
Ali became one of the most prominent rebel commanders operating against the Obote government during the early 1980s.
His political journey changed after the National Resistance Army, led by Museveni, captured power in January 1986.
Rather than continuing the armed struggle, Ali entered negotiations with the new government. The talks led to a peace agreement between the government and UNRF in 1988.
Under the agreement, UNRF fighters were integrated into the national army, while Ali and other members of the movement entered public service. The settlement became one of the important steps towards restoring peace in West Nile after years of rebellion, displacement and political instability.
The agreement also transformed Ali from an armed opponent of the government into one of Museveni’s most enduring political allies.
Rise through Museveni’s government
Following the peace settlement, Ali served in several senior government positions and was appointed a Major General in the national army.
His ability to survive political changes and rebuild his career made him one of Uganda’s most recognisable political figures.
Ali served in ministries responsible for tourism, internal affairs, relief, disaster preparedness and refugees. He also held senior responsibilities in the Office of the Prime Minister.
He represented East Moyo in Parliament before later becoming MP for Adjumani West County.
Ali served as Third Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business between 2011 and 2016. He was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister in 2016 and held the position until 2021.
Following the 2021 general elections, Museveni appointed him Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament. He remained in that position from June 2021 until May 2026.
During his final years in Cabinet, Ali participated in promoting government programmes, including the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation and the Youth Livelihood Programme.
The Office of the Prime Minister also credited him with strengthening partnerships between the Madi sub-region and Sardinia in Italy. The cooperation supported infrastructure, cultural exchange and community development initiatives.
Political defeats and comebacks
Ali’s political career was not without setbacks.
He lost his East Moyo parliamentary seat and ministerial position in the 2006 elections. After the defeat, he briefly served as a presidential adviser on refugee affairs.
He returned to elective politics during the 2011 general elections and reclaimed the parliamentary seat at the age of 72.
His return opened another chapter in his government career, leading to further Cabinet appointments and his eventual promotion to the rank of full General in 2012.
Ali remained politically active even as questions were raised about his age and continued participation in elective politics.
He consistently maintained that voters had the right to decide whether he should remain in public office. His successful campaign for Adjumani West in 2026 demonstrated the political support he continued to command in his constituency.
He took the parliamentary oath on May 13, 2026, alongside other senior government figures, including Vice-President Jessica Alupo and Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
Returning to school in his sixties
Beyond his military and political career, Ali attracted attention for returning to university at an age when many public officials would have been preparing to retire.
Uganda Law Society officials said Ali enrolled for a Bachelor of Laws degree at Makerere University at the age of 64.
He graduated in 2008 and continued to the Law Development Centre, where he obtained a Diploma in Legal Practice. He was later called to the Bar at the age of 73.
Uganda Law Society president Isaac Ssemakadde, who studied alongside Ali, described him as a committed learner who participated in class without demanding special treatment because of his military rank or government position.
His decision to study law late in life became one of the most widely remembered aspects of his personal development.
Influence in West Nile
Ali’s strongest political base remained the West Nile region, particularly Adjumani and the wider Madi sub-region.
Supporters credited him with using his position in government to lobby for roads, electricity, education, water services and administrative changes intended to bring government services closer to residents.
He was associated with campaigns for the creation and development of Adjumani District, improved transport connections across the Nile and the elevation of local urban authorities.
Ali also promoted agriculture through his farming activities in Adjumani.
President Museveni cited Ali’s work as a modern farmer as one of the practical examples he provided to communities in West Nile.
Through mixed farming, Ali demonstrated the commercial potential of crop production and livestock keeping in a region where many families depended on subsistence agriculture.
His supporters said he encouraged residents returning from exile to rebuild their lives through farming and the cultivation of commercial crops.
He was also associated with education, youth and sports initiatives in Adjumani, including support for institutions intended to provide opportunities to children from disadvantaged families.
A career reflecting Uganda’s political history
Ali’s life followed the major political changes Uganda experienced after independence.
He served during the Amin government, went into exile after its collapse, led an armed movement against Obote’s second administration and later joined Museveni’s government through a negotiated peace agreement.
He then spent decades in Parliament, Cabinet and the military establishment.
His journey from soldier to minister, rebel commander, peace negotiator and deputy prime minister illustrated both the divisions and political reconciliations that shaped Uganda’s post-independence history.
Ali also survived political defeats, criminal charges that were later dismissed, repeated reports about his poor health and several false rumours of his death.
His longevity in politics led supporters to view him as a resilient leader, while critics questioned the continued presence of elderly politicians in government.
Despite those disagreements, Ali remained one of the most experienced public figures in the country.
His final Cabinet term ended in May 2026, when Dr Crispus Kiyonga replaced him as Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business.
Ali, however, remained a serving Member of Parliament until his death.
His passing brought to a close a military and political career that spanned more than five decades and several of Uganda’s most important political periods.
