KAMPALA, Uganda — Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali, Uganda’s former Second Deputy Prime Minister, veteran military officer, and longtime Member of Parliament for Adjumani West, has died at the age of 87.
According to reports from family sources and close associates, Gen. Ali died at about 4:25 p.m. on Saturday at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala, where he had been receiving treatment for several days.
Family members had gathered at the hospital as concern over his health grew. Earlier this week, one of his daughters, who had traveled from South Sudan, told reporters that his condition was “not good.” Government officials had confirmed that the retired general was receiving medical care but did not disclose details about his illness.
Official statements from President Yoweri Museveni, the Government of Uganda, and Ali’s family were still pending by press time.
Tributes quickly began pouring in on social media, with many Ugandans describing him as a patriot, freedom fighter, statesman, and one of the country’s longest serving public servants. His longtime friend, Capt. Mike Mukula, had earlier confirmed his hospitalization and appealed to Ugandans to pray for his recovery.
Gen. Ali remained active in public life until his death. He was re elected as Member of Parliament for Adjumani West in the 2026 General Election and was sworn into the 12th Parliament on May 13.
Born Abu Mayanja on April 5, 1939, in Atabo Parish, Pakele Division, present day Adjumani District, Moses Ali was one of Uganda’s most prominent political and military figures. His public service stretched across more than five decades and several administrations, making him one of the few leaders whose career reflected much of Uganda’s modern political history.
He attended school in Kampala after completing his Primary Leaving Examination in 1957 before earning a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Law Development Centre. He also received military training in Israel and the United Kingdom.
Ali joined the Uganda Army in the late 1960s and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1969. He participated in the 1971 military coup that brought Idi Amin to power and later served as Minister of Finance during Amin’s government.
Following the collapse of the Amin regime in 1979, Ali fled into exile in southern Sudan. He later led the Uganda National Rescue Front, a rebel movement that fought the government of President Milton Obote during the Bush War.
After peace negotiations, his forces were integrated into the National Resistance Army led by Yoweri Museveni. He subsequently rose through the ranks of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces, attaining the rank of General before retiring from active military service.
Throughout his political career, Ali held several senior cabinet positions, including Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Minister of Trade and Industry, and Minister of Internal Affairs. He also served as Third Deputy Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister, and most recently Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
Known as the “Lion of Adjumani,” Ali became a respected political figure in the West Nile region and was widely credited for contributing to reconciliation and post conflict recovery following years of instability.
His career was marked by remarkable resilience. He survived political upheavals, exile, armed conflict, assassination attempts, and changing governments, remaining an influential figure in Uganda’s public life for decades.
Gen. Moses Ali leaves behind a family, colleagues, and a legacy that spans Uganda’s military and political history. Funeral arrangements and official government tributes are expected to be announced in the coming days.
