Museveni Honours Gen. Moses Ali

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni made a rare appearance in Parliament this morning to pay tribute to the late Gen. Moses Ali, breaking with the long-standing tradition of sending written condolence messages whenever Parliament honours deceased legislators. 

 

His presence showed the unique place Gen. Ali occupied in Uganda’s political and military history as a former adversary who became a trusted ally, a soldier who embraced reconciliation, and one of the country’s longest-serving public servants.  

Addressing Parliament, Museveni described the former Second Deputy Prime Minister and Adjumani West MP as a man whose life was defined by three enduring qualities: his love for freedom, his commitment to peace, and his unwavering dedication to the development of West Nile.  

Museveni traced Ali’s political journey to his fallout with former President Idi Amin.  

 

 Museveni said Ali distinguished himself not only as a military commander but also as a leader committed to dialogue. He recalled hearing Ali frequently mentioned alongside Dr. Amos Adriko and initially assuming that Adriko was a medical doctor.  

Museveni said Ali never abandoned his commitment to the people of West Nile. “He was a lover of West Nile,” the President said.  “He was always pushing for the problems of West Nile- roads, the railway, electricity and others,”  Museveni noted that many of the infrastructure projects Ali persistently lobbied for had already been delivered, while others remain under implementation.  

He urged the people of West Nile to honour Ali’s legacy by embracing household wealth creation and making full use of the development opportunities he had championed.  “He was a development person,” Museveni said.  The President also praised Ali’s role in promoting unity within the Muslim community.