President Museveni has described the late Gen Moses Ali as a devoted son of West Nile who consistently championed the interests of the region throughout his long political career.
Speaking during a special sitting of Parliament held in honour of the former Second Deputy Prime Minister and Adjumani West MP on Tuesday, Museveni said Ali never stopped advocating for the people of West Nile.
“He was a lover of West Nile who was always pushing for the issues of the region,” Museveni told legislators and mourners.
Museveni said Ali persistently lobbied for improved access to electricity, better welfare for military veterans and investment in infrastructure to transform the region.
He said Ali strongly believed that improved roads, electricity and other public services would attract investment, create jobs and improve household incomes in West Nile.
He noted that through their close working relationship, the government restored peace across Yumbe, Adjumani, Koboko and the wider West Nile region after years of insecurity.
The president said the government’s development programme had expanded electricity to many parts of the region and announced that work would continue on major road projects, including the Nebbi to Congo border road and the Packwach to Rhino Camp road.
Museveni described Ali as a freedom fighter, peacemaker and development-minded leader whose contribution to Uganda would not be forgotten.
“I will deeply miss him. He was a freedom fighter, a peacemaker and a person who believed in development,” Museveni said.
The president also recalled the early years of their relationship, saying they first met in Libya during the rule of the late Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, who had hosted several Ugandan political and military figures after the fall of Idi Amin’s government.
Museveni said they later built a close relationship during the struggle against the remnants of the Amin regime and subsequent armed conflicts in northern Uganda.
Ali was one of Uganda’s longest-serving political and military leaders. During Idi Amin’s government, he served as Minister of Finance before going into exile after Amin was overthrown in 1979.
He later formed the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) a rebel movement that operated mainly in the West Nile region.
In 1988, Ali signed a peace agreement with the National Resistance Movement government, ending years of rebellion in West Nile.
He subsequently joined Museveni’s government, where he held several senior positions, including First Deputy Prime Minister, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament. He also served in various cabinet portfolios while representing Adjumani West in Parliament for many years.
His decision to work with Museveni was widely seen as a turning point in restoring peace and stability in West Nile, allowing thousands of displaced people to return home and paving the way for government investment in roads, schools, health facilities and electricity.
Ali died on July 18 at Nakasero Hospital after battling heart-related complications. He was 87.
Following the parliamentary tribute, his body was flown to Adjumani. According to the official burial programme, Ali will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Adjumani on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
