Uganda is mourning the loss of one of its longest-serving political and military figures, Gen. Moses Ali, the country’s former Second Deputy Prime Minister, who died on Saturday at the age of 87 while receiving treatment at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala.
President Yoweri Museveni announced Ali’s death, describing him as a dedicated soldier, statesman and patriot whose service to Uganda spanned more than five decades.
“It is with deep sorrow that I announce the death of our brother Gen. Moses Ali,” Museveni said in a statement. “Gen. Moses Ali has provided service to his country for a long time, as a soldier and a political leader… We shall miss greatly his contribution. May the Almighty God rest his soul in eternal peace.”
In recognition of his decades of public service, Museveni directed that Ali be accorded an official state burial. The government has scheduled a series of tributes beginning with private prayers in Kampala, followed by a special parliamentary sitting on July 21 before his body is flown to his home district of Adjumani for burial with official honours on July 23.
Born in April 1939 in Atabu Parish, Adjumani District, in northwestern Uganda, Ali began his professional life as a teacher before joining the military. Between 1968 and 1972, he underwent military training abroad and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1969, rising rapidly through the ranks to major, colonel and later brigadier.
His political career began under former President Idi Amin, who appointed him Minister of Provincial Administration in 1973 before later naming him Finance Minister in 1975. Following Amin’s overthrow in 1979, Ali spent years in exile before returning to Ugandan politics.
After joining President Museveni’s government, Ali became one of Uganda’s most enduring public servants. Over the following decades, he held several ministerial portfolios, including tourism, wildlife and antiquities, disaster preparedness and relief, and served multiple terms as Deputy Prime Minister.
From June 2021 until May 2026, he served as Uganda’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament while representing Adjumani West Constituency.
Earlier this year, he successfully retained his parliamentary seat on the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, although he was not included in Museveni’s cabinet following the president’s re-election.
The Office of the Prime Minister previously credited Ali with strengthening citizen engagement, supporting vulnerable communities and promoting partnerships that contributed to Uganda’s socio-economic development.
Throughout his long career, Ali remained one of the most influential political figures from the West Nile region and was widely respected for his leadership in both military and civilian public service.
He is survived by a legacy that spans more than half a century of service to Uganda, making him one of the country’s longest-serving statesmen. His passing marks the end of a remarkable chapter in Uganda’s political history.
