Lawmakers pay tribute to Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali as statesman, freedom fighter and peace maker

By Our Reporter

Members of Parliament have paid glowing tribute to the late Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali, describing him as a distinguished statesman, freedom fighter, peace maker and patriot whose decades of public service left an indelible mark on Uganda’s political, military and socio-economic development.

The tributes were delivered during a special sitting of Parliament held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, convened to honour the former Second Deputy Prime Minister and former Member of Parliament for Adjumani West County following his death on Saturday, July 18.

Moving the motion to pay tribute, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, hailed Gen. Moses Ali for his outstanding contribution to restoring peace and stability in Uganda, particularly in the West Nile sub-region.

“In the 1980s, he led the Uganda National Rescue Front, maintaining resistance in the West Nile region until he signed a peace deal with the new government of Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. This was followed by the integration of his forces into the National Resistance Army and the restoration of peace in the West Nile,” Nabbanja said.

She noted that the late leader also played a critical role in efforts to end the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency in Northern Uganda and was instrumental in championing the formulation and enactment of the Amnesty Act, which encouraged rebels to abandon armed conflict and return home peacefully.

Seconding the motion, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi, described Gen. Moses Ali as one of the country’s most experienced public servants whose career spanned some of Uganda’s most defining historical moments.

“Through periods of political transition, reconstruction and nation building, his longevity in public service also meant that he mentored and worked alongside several generations of leaders. Many members of this House today have differed with him politically, but they undoubtedly learned valuable lessons from his experience, institutional memory and understanding of the evolution of our nation,” Ssenyonyi said.

He urged both current and future leaders to emulate Gen. Moses Ali’s commitment to selfless leadership, accountable governance and service above personal interests.

Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo praised the late statesman for his commitment to expanding access to education, especially for vulnerable communities in West Nile.

She revealed that Gen. Moses Ali was among the founders of West Nile University, which is currently in its formative stages.

“As a leader, his heart was very invested in university education especially of young Muslim girls. He talked about how young Muslim girls were always disadvantaged, but he was a voice in raising their plight to ensure they go and complete school,” Alupo said.

Representing the Uganda People’s Defence Forces in Parliament, Lt. Gen. James Mugira credited Gen. Moses Ali with contributing significantly to security in Northern Uganda through his regular engagement with the Commander-in-Chief.

“I always treated his correspondences to the President as top priority. I worked with him closely in 2004 when I was in charge of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, at a time when some rebel group was trying to establish bases in West Nile, which we dismantled with his support,” Mugira noted.

The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, used the occasion to call on government to consider compensating the Nubian community, drawing inspiration from Gen. Moses Ali’s book titled The Odyssey of the Nubi: From Soldiers of the British Empire to Full Citizens in Uganda.

“We have done a lot to restore what the Indians lost, but some of these people (Nubians) also lost a lot. Many of their children who were born in Israel, Zaire and Sudan all belonged somewhere, their parents lost property and they have never recovered. It is time we did something for this community,” Kadaga said.

Adjumani District Woman Representative Hon. Eunice Otuko described Gen. Moses Ali’s passing as the end of an important chapter in Uganda’s political history.

“Regrettably, the UPC and Hon. Ali were frequently at odds, often standing on opposite ends. But today and for all time we set aside any difference and mourn him with honour,” she said.

Gen. Moses Ali served Uganda in numerous leadership positions over nearly six decades, including as Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry, among several other ministerial portfolios.

He also represented East Moyo County in Parliament between 1994 and 2016 before later serving as the Member of Parliament for Adjumani West County, where he remained a respected voice for peace, reconciliation and development.

The veteran statesman will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Atabu Parish, Pakele Division, Adjumani District, on Thursday, July 23, 2026.