Lawmakers have paid glowing tribute to the former Second Deputy Prime Minister and former Representative for Adjumani West County, Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali, describing him as a great statesman, freedom fighter and peace maker.

While moving the motion to pay tribute to the former leader in special sitting held on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja commended Ali’s long military endeavours which she said brought peace in the country.
“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 Moses Ali was instrumental in peace efforts to end the insurgency of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Northern Uganda and also championed the formulation and enactment of the Amnesty Act which granted pardon to fighters who abandoned rebellion.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Joel Ssenyonyi who seconded the motion described Moses Ali as a central figure in Uganda’s public affairs, who belonged to a generation of leaders that participated in defining moments of Uganda’s history.
“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 deferred with him politically but they undoubtedly learned valuable lessons from his experience, institutional memory and understanding of the evolution of our nation,” said Ssenyonyi.

He urged legislators and leaders across the country to emulate Ali’s commitment to selfless leadership, accountable governance and service above self in order to leave behind solid institutions.

The Vice President, HE Jessica Alupo, hailed Moses Ali for promoting the education sector noting that he was among the founders of West Nile University that is in its initial stages of establishment.
“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.

Lt. Gen. James Mugira (UPDF Representative) said the late’s correspondences to the President on matters regarding the stabilisation of the West Nile region contributed to improved security in the greater Northern Region of Uganda.
“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 Affairs, rt.Hon. Rebecca Kadaga, made a call for the compensation of Nubians while alluding to a book authored by Gen Moses Ali 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,” said Kadaga.

Hon. Otuko Eunice noted that Gen Moses Ali’s death signified the end of an illustrious political chapter in Uganda’s history, where he worked across different regimes.
“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 honor,” she said.

Gen Moses Ali who passed away on Saturday, 18 July 2026 served as MP for East Moyo County between 1994 and 2016, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Minister for Internal Affairs and Minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry, among other portfolios.

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