President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that he personally engaged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the recent xenophobic attacks targeting African migrants.
He warns that the violence against African immigrants poses a threat to African unity and regional integration.
Speaking on Sunday during the pass-out ceremony of 1,030 Ugandan returnees at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, Museveni said he had urged his South African counterpart to take decisive action against those responsible for the attacks.
“I told President Ramaphosa that what is happening is dangerous for Africa,” Museveni said.
According to the President, Ramaphosa explained that the perpetrators were enemies of South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) and not acting on behalf of the government.
“I urged him to deal decisively with xenophobia because welcoming fellow Africans is the right thing to do. If countries begin retaliating against one another, it will be dangerous for the entire continent,” Museveni added.
The President appealed to Ugandans not to direct anger towards South Africans living or investing in Uganda, saying the attacks should not undermine relations between the two countries.
The 1,030 Ugandans were evacuated from South Africa by Uganda Airlines following violent attacks that targeted foreign African nationals.
They have spent the last 15 days at NALI undergoing counselling, rehabilitation and ideological orientation under a programme coordinated by the National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC).
“I welcome you from danger, and I thank God that you have returned safely,” Museveni said, extending condolences to the families of three Ugandans who died during the attacks.
Acting Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Haruna Kyeyune Kasolo said Uganda had initiated diplomatic engagement with the South African government to establish the extent of property and business losses suffered by Ugandans during the violence.
Kasolo confirmed that three Ugandans lost their lives in the attacks and thanked the President for contributing Shillings 10 million to each bereaved family. He added that Uganda’s High Commission in Pretoria had registered more than 600 Ugandans who remain in South Africa.
The minister also called for tighter regulation of labour externalisation agencies, arguing that many Ugandans who face exploitation abroad leave through labour recruitment companies.
To support the returnees’ reintegration, Museveni announced a Shillings 2 billion fund for the group, in addition to Shillings 2 million for each household head to facilitate transport back to their home districts.
He asked the returnees to document businesses and property lost during the attacks so government could assess possible interventions, while encouraging them to take advantage of programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga and other wealth creation initiatives.
The President used the occasion to urge Ugandans to pursue economic opportunities at home instead of seeking uncertain prospects abroad.
He said Uganda offers opportunities in commercial agriculture, manufacturing, services, artisan work and the digital economy, citing successful entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses from modest investments.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja described the evacuation as one of Uganda’s largest humanitarian interventions involving citizens abroad, confirming that Uganda Airlines repatriated all 1,030 Ugandans free of charge.
She said the government remains committed to protecting Ugandans wherever they are and disclosed that another 525 Ugandans stranded in Cambodia have appealed for government assistance to return home.
On behalf of the returnees, Felix Mugabi thanked the government for rescuing them and providing rehabilitation, saying the programme had changed their perception of opportunities in Uganda.
“Many of us left believing success could only be found abroad. Today, we have discovered that Uganda offers enormous opportunities if we embrace hard work and government programmes,” Mugabi said.
He added that despite losing businesses, jobs and property in South Africa, the returnees intend to rebuild their lives through agriculture, manufacturing, vocational skills and entrepreneurship.
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Football was not the only attraction on Sunday, July 19, after Beyoncé and Jay-Z made a surprise appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The couple looked relaxed as they watched Spain battle Argentina in front of a global audience, delighting fans who rarely get to see them attend public events together.
Beyoncé impressed with a stylish cream outfit, while Jay-Z kept his look simple in an all-white ensemble and his trademark New York Yankees cap.
Supporters wasted no time sharing photos and videos across social media, turning the music icons into one of the night’s biggest off-field attractions.
The celebrity-filled crowd also featured Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, Serena Williams, Kevin Hart, and Matt Damon.
Spain claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Argentina, but the Carters left fans talking long after the final whistle.
History was written in the Ugandan entertainment industry as the Triplets Ghetto Kids performed at the biggest global football stage, the World Cup final, in the USA on Sunday.
Amid Spain lifting their second World Cup trophy, Ugandan’s were focused on writing their own piece of history, all courtesy of the vulnerable, orphaned, street children; the Ghetto Kids.
The dance and music group, which was founded in 2014 by Dauda Kavuma, grabbed the attention of billions of viewers from across the world who were watching the very first FIFA World Cup final halftime show.
Alongside global music icons Shakira and Burnaboy, the Ghetto Kids perfectly executed the choreography to the Dai Dai song, which has been in our ears since the tournament began in June.
Their infectious energy at the New York-New Jersey Stadium impressed many, etching their names in the infinite books of entertainment history.
“Dreams really do come true. Performing at the World Cup halftime show with Shakira was an experience we will carry with us for a lifetime,” the Dauda Kavuma-managed group revealed on Instagram.
Veteran Kadongo Kamu singer Fred Sebatta has opened up about how he adopted the title “Lord” as part of his stage name.
Reflecting on its origin, Sebatta revealed that the nickname was coined by a group of associates with whom he often interacted.
At the time, he frequently referred to himself as the “Star of Africa,” before one of them casually started calling him “Lord.”
‘Lord’ came about because there was a clique of individuals I used to tell that I was the ‘Star of Africa.’ Then one of them simply decided to call me ‘Lord’.
He later organized a show at Nakivubo Stadium, and all the promotional materials and announcements identified Fred Sebatta as “Lord Fred Sebatta” rather than “Star of Africa,” helping the title gain popularity among fans.
Sebatta, however, admitted that there was a period when he felt uncomfortable carrying the title, especially during moments of prayer.
He explained that kneeling before God while being referred to as “Lord” created an internal conflict, prompting him to consider dropping the nickname altogether.
The singer even composed a song to distance himself from the title, hoping it would help people stop using it. However, his efforts did not produce the results he expected.
Eventually, he accepted that the title had become part of his identity.
“At some point, I wouldn’t even respond when someone called me ‘Lord.’ But the more I resisted it, the more it stuck. In the end, I had no option but to accept it.”
Today, “Lord Fred Sebatta” remains one of the most recognizable names in Uganda’s Kadongo Kamu music industry.
The government is set to introduce mandatory colour-coding for all school vans and buses as part of wider measures to improve the safety of learners on the country’s roads. The move is among key recommendations made by the recently constituted inter-ministerial committee formed to review school transportation following the tragic Kapchorwa accident that claimed the lives of several pupils and a teacher returning from a school trip.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Lawrence Nuwabiine, Director of Traffic and Road Safety, said that the committee was initially established to address safety concerns surrounding school trips, which have been linked to several fatal accidents. However, he said the review has since revealed that the challenge is broader, extending beyond occasional school excursions to the daily transportation of learners to and from school.
“We are going to look at the entire school transport system. All aspects will be reviewed, and there will be strict enforcement of the measures that will be put in place,” AIGP Nuwabiine said. Daily transportation of learners to and from school has become a major concern, with many school vans reportedly driven recklessly, overloaded, unroadworthy, and operating on unsafe routes and schedules.
Just days before the Kapchorwa tragedy, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Mercy Faith Lakisa, personally stopped a school van that was dangerously overloaded with children. Despite such interventions, enforcement of existing safety rules has often been weak. Beyond school vans, thousands of learners across the country rely on motorcycles to travel to and from school, with some carrying multiple children on a single boda boda, sometimes without proper protective gear.
The renewed focus on school transport follows years of recommendations from government agencies aimed at improving learner safety. Several guidelines have been issued in the past, but enforcement has remained a major challenge. The Ministry of Education and Sports has previously developed guidelines on school transport, requiring schools to ensure vehicles used for learners are roadworthy, properly licensed, and operated by competent drivers. Schools have also been encouraged to maintain clear records of vehicles, drivers, and safety arrangements for trips.
However, implementation has often depended on individual schools, with limited routine inspection and enforcement. AIGP Nuwabiine said the committee will now examine school transportation more broadly, with colour-coding of vehicles being one of the immediate steps aimed at improving visibility, enabling easier monitoring by traffic officers, and deterring unauthorised operators.
In many countries, including neighbouring Kenya, school buses are painted a distinctive bright yellow to improve visibility and make them easily recognisable on the road. The yellow colour has become a familiar feature of school transport, and it is often combined with other safety requirements, including warning signs, flashing lights, stop arms, designated loading and drop-off procedures, and strict regulations governing driver conduct. But, in Uganda’s case, further details on the specific colour to be adopted, the timeline for implementation, and the enforcement mechanisms are expected to be communicated after the guidelines are finalised.
Nuwabiine said the committee is developing broader regulations covering school transport, with emphasis on ensuring that the rules are not only issued but also effectively enforced. Uganda’s planned measures come as neighbouring Kenya moves ahead with stricter controls on school transport. In 2025, the Kenya National Transport and Safety Authority introduced the Traffic (School Transport) Rules, 2025, establishing detailed requirements for vehicles carrying learners.
The rules require school vans and buses to operate only between 5:00 am and 10:00 pm, make complete stops when loading and dropping off pupils, use stop-signal arms and flashing red lights, provide every learner with a designated seat, and prohibit the carrying of unauthorised passengers. Operators and drivers who violate the regulations face penalties, including fines, imprisonment of up to six months, and suspension of driving or operating licences. The Kenyan framework also gives authorities powers to conduct random inspections to ensure compliance and improve accountability within the school transport sector.
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Afrobeats superstar Burna Boy has added another international achievement to his growing list of accolades after “Dai Dai,” his collaboration with Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, broke a major tournament music record.
The official World Cup anthem has amassed more than 800 million combined streams and views across Spotify and YouTube.
Of that total, over 200 million came from Spotify, while YouTube contributed more than 600 million views.
Those figures make “Dai Dai” the most successful official FIFA World Cup song of the 2026 tournament.
It also ranks as the most-viewed World Cup music video since Shakira’s “La La La.”
The song gained momentum from the opening days of the tournament, with fans around the world embracing it as teams battled for football’s biggest prize.
Its record-breaking run reinforces Burna Boy‘s growing global influence and once again highlights Shakira’s enduring connection with the FIFA World Cup.
The trial of three men accused of murdering former Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Joan Kagezi Namazzi continued before the High Court’s International Crimes Division in Kampala on Friday, with one of the accused alleging that former Inspector General of Police Gen. Kale Kayihura was linked to the plot that led to her assassination.
Nasur Abdallah Mugonole, one of the accused, told the court that although he knew about the plan to kill Kagezi, he did not participate in the actual shooting. Mugonole alleged that police officer Hamisi Kakaire was the one who shot Kagezi using a firearm allegedly supplied by former Flying Squad commander Nixon Agasirwe, who is separately charged with Kagezi’s murder alongside Abdul Noor Ssemujju, alias Minana. Their case is pending trial before the High Court following the conclusion of investigations in December 2025.
He told the court that his role was to gather intelligence on individuals involved in planning the assassination and report back to a person he identified only as “Green.”Mugonole further claimed that he had participated in other violent operations, including alleged assassination plots, bomb attacks and targeted killings. During his testimony, Mugonole implicated Gen. Kayihura, alleging that he was involved in the operation that culminated in Kagezi’s murder. He named several individuals he claimed were part of the operation, including J.J. Odong, Hamza Kagame, David Muhamuzi and another person he identified only as Kayanja, whom he described as an intelligence operative.
He told the court that Kagezi knew him personally and possessed documents allegedly implicating Gen. Kayihura in violent activities and illegal firearms dealings. According to Mugonole, the documents angered the former police chief. Mugonole further alleged that Kayihura offered Kagezi Shs1 billion in exchange for the files, but she declined the offer, saying she intended to hand them over to President Yoweri Museveni. He also claimed that co-accused-turned-state witness Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka told him while they were in prison that Gen. Kayihura financed and masterminded the operation and that Kisekka had introduced him to Agasirwe.
Mugonole further alleged that Kagezi’s mobile phone was stolen before her murder by a man he identified as Calvin Jordan, who allegedly gained the family’s trust by pretending to be interested in dating Kagezi’s daughter. He claimed Jordan maintained contact with the family from 2010 until the time of Kagezi’s death.
According to Mugonole, Jordan handed the stolen phone to Agasirwe, who allegedly delivered it to Gen. Kayihura at his residence in Ntinda.
He alleged that the phone was then given to a man identified as Lieutenant Francis, who installed a tracking device bearing serial number 3250 to monitor Kagezi’s movements. He told the court that the phone was returned to Kagezi three days later and alleged that similar phone-tracking methods were later used against former Buyende District Police Commander Muhammad Kirumira and former Assistant Inspector General of Police and police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi before they were killed.
Mugonole said the original plan had been to kill Kagezi on March 29, 2015. He also admitted participating in the robbery of a women’s SACCO with Kisekka and testified that while living with him for four months, he brought two guns and their magazines on June 24, 2007. He further told the court that he remained in contact with members of the group even while in prison because they believed they had connections to senior government officials and continued sharing information.
However, when the panel of judges asked him to identify those individuals, Mugonole declined, saying he feared for his safety. The prosecution is expected to cross-examine Mugonole when the hearing resumes. The three accused on trial are John Kibuuka, also known as Musa, an inmate at Kigo Prison; Nasur Abdallah Mugonole; and John Masajjage, also known as Brian Mubiru, Badru or Congo, who are both incarcerated at Kitalya Maximum Security Prison.
They were initially charged together with Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka, who pleaded guilty to the charges, entered a plea bargain with the prosecution and was sentenced to 35 years’ imprisonment after becoming a state witness. Two weeks ago, a panel of four High Court judges—Dr Andrew Bashaija, Duncan Gaswaga, Joyce Kavuma and Richard Wejuli Wabwire—ruled that the remaining three accused had a case to answer and ordered them to begin presenting their defence.
Kagezi was shot dead on March 30, 2015, near her home in Kiwatule, a Kampala suburb. During the prosecution’s case, state witness Daniel Kisekka Kiwanuka testified that he had known all three accused since childhood and that they had worked in neighbouring bakeries around Kalerwe before he joined the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in 2002.
Kisekka told the court that after completing military training in 2003, he met Kibuuka in Kalerwe, who allegedly persuaded him to desert the army, steal firearms and return to Kampala to commit armed robberies.He admitted participating in several motorcycle robberies and attacks on microfinance institutions before agreeing to take part in the murder of Kagezi.
Kisekka further testified that after deserting the army and escaping from Makindye Military Barracks in July 2011, he relocated to Namaliri in Mukono District, where he grew watermelons and tomatoes and later engaged in charcoal burning. According to his testimony, Kibuuka later approached him with an offer of US$200,000 to kill Kagezi because she was allegedly interfering with Muslim-related cases.
He said Kibuuka never disclosed who wanted Kagezi dead but assured him that the sponsor would supply the murder weapons. Kisekka testified that two days before the murder, he went to Mugonole’s home in Nabweru to clean and oil the two guns that would be used in the operation. He told the court that on March 30, 2015, Kibuuka called the group to assemble under a mango tree in Kyebando, where he distributed one gun and a magazine to Kibuuka and paid each member Shs500,000 as a deposit.
The group then travelled on two motorcycles through Bahai and Ntinda to Kiwatule Church, where they waited for Kagezi. According to Kisekka, when Kagezi stopped her white double-cabin pickup to buy fruit at about 7 p.m., Kibuuka signalled the team by raising his thumb. Masajjage rode past the vehicle, allowing Kibuuka to jump off and allegedly shoot Kagezi twice. Kisekka testified that he later fired a shot into the air to disperse bystanders and enable Kibuuka to confirm that Kagezi was dead before the group fled through Nsooba and Kanyanya.
He added that the following day they travelled to a traditional healer in Kayunga District to perform rituals intended to help them evade arrest. Court records show that investigators took about eight years to identify and arrest all the suspects. The records indicate that Masajjage fled to Buvuma Islands, where he worked as a shoe repairer and boda boda rider while using the name Brian Mubiru to evade arrest.
He was eventually arrested in Wandegeya in August 2023. Investigators also established that Kibuuka and Mugonole had already been arrested, convicted and imprisoned for unrelated offences committed after Kagezi’s murder. Kisekka was arrested in Luwero in October 2023 over an alleged theft case. While in custody, investigators linked him to Kagezi’s murder, leading to his cooperation with prosecutors and eventual guilty plea. The trial resumes in September 2026.
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Nigerian singer Tiwa Savage has admitted she laughed through one of the darkest moments of her life instead of confronting the pain head-on.
During an appearance on The Breakfast Club, Tiwa Savage reflected on the aftermath of her 2021 private video leak and confessed that she never gave herself the chance to heal.
Instead, she cracked jokes and even referenced the experience in her music.
I do not think I dealt with it. I think I made jokes about it. I put it in my song, but I do not think I actually dealt with it.
Tiwa Savage said time helped her see the situation differently.
Today, she accepts that someone violated her trust and no longer blames herself for what happened.
She also dismissed claims that she staged the leak to revive her career, saying the rumours only added to her emotional pain.
They thought I did it for PR. A lot of people thought, ‘Ah, she is not relevant anymore and she is doing this.’ And I am like, Guys, trust me, if I wanted to do that, I would have had better lighting.
Tiwa Savage also claimed that an ex-boyfriend leaked the private video without her consent, a betrayal she says changed her life.
She considered taking the matter to court but eventually dropped the idea because every legal conversation reopened old wounds.
I was going to court. Every time they brought it up, I had to relive it. I just wanted to move on.
Rather than carry guilt, she now focuses on healing and moving forward.
For more than five decades, Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali occupied a rare and complicated place in Uganda’s public life.
Soldier, lawyer, rebel commander, cabinet minister and parliamentarian, he moved through vastly different political eras while surviving war, exile, assassination attempts, political upheaval and repeated rumours about his health.
Admired by supporters as the “Lion of Adjumani” and remembered by critics for his role during Idi Amin’s rule, Ali’s career mirrored Uganda’s turbulent journey from post-independence instability to uneasy political continuity under President Yoweri Museveni.
Few Ugandan political figures experienced, and survived, as many chapters of the country’s modern history as Moses Ali. His public life stretched across nearly every major political era since independence.
He served in the Uganda Army under President Milton Obote, rose swiftly after Idi Amin’s 1971 coup, fled into exile after Amin’s fall, returned as a rebel leaderagainst Obote’s second government, reconciled with Museveni after the National Resistance Army seized power in 1986, and later became one of Uganda’s longest-serving ministers and deputy prime ministers.
At 87, Ali remained a Member of Parliament for Adjumani West after winning re-election in the 2026 General Election. Although he exited Cabinet in the new administration, his continued presence in Parliament symbolized a political longevity few could match.
His supporters saw in him resilience, patriotism and unmatched experience. His critics saw a survivor of every system. Either way, Moses Ali remained impossible to ignore.
Roots in West Nile
Born on April 5, 1939, in Meliaderi Village, Atabo Parish, Pakele Division in present-day Adjumani District, Moses Ali grew up in West Nile, a region that would later become both his political base and the foundation of his military identity.
He was born to Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porsche Ali into a Muslim family in the final decades of British colonial rule. Like many rural children of his generation, his education began in missionary schools.
He completed his Primary Leaving Examination at Erepi Church of Uganda before proceeding to Church of Uganda Junior Secondary School and later Old Kampala Senior Secondary School for his O-Level studies.
Education became one of the defining features of his life. Unlike many officers of hisgeneration, Ali kept returning to the classroom. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Makerere University, completed a Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre, and pursued military studies in Israel and the United Kingdom.
Decades later, already in advanced age, he obtained a Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies from American Military University in 2015, a striking sign of his lifelong attachment to learning.
Into the Army
Uganda in the late 1960s was politically fragile. After independence in 1962, militarydivisions increasingly reflected the country’s deeper political and ethnic tensions.Against that backdrop, Ali joined the Uganda Army around 1968 as a cadet officer.
His aptitude became apparent quickly. Training opportunities took him to Israel, where he specialized in officer cadet instruction, parachute operations and company command, before advancing to the Camberley Staff College in the United Kingdom.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1969, he rose rapidly through the ranks asUganda’s military establishment underwent profound political change.
The Amin Years
No account of Moses Ali’s life can avoid January 25, 1971, when a military coup overthrew President Milton Obote while he was away at a Commonwealth summit in Singapore.
Historical evidence places Ali among officers aligned with Idi Amin during the takeover. But available accounts do not identify him as one of the coup’s principal architects or operational commanders. Senior figures such as Isaac Maliyamungu appear more prominently in descriptions of the seizure of power in Kampala and Entebbe.
Ali’s importance lay less in directing the coup than in belonging to the West Nile military network that underpinned Amin’s support. His professional training and military credentials strengthened his position in the new regime.
The coup transformed his career. Over the next few years, he became one of Uganda’s fastest-rising officers, attaining the rank of Brigadier by 1974 and assuming powerful ministerial roles. He served as Minister of Provincial Administration and later as Minister of Finance.
At the time, international observers often described him as part of Amin’s inner circle. Journalists Tony Avirgan and Martha Honey later called him one of Amin’s closest associates, a label that has continued to shape public memory of his legacy.
His ministerial career unfolded during one of the darkest periods in Uganda’s history. Human rights organizations estimate that hundreds of thousands of Ugandans died during Amin’s eight-year rule. The economy collapsed after the 1972 expulsion of Uganda’s Asian community, and political repression became widespread.
Although Ali held senior office during this era, historical records provide limited evidence directly tying him to specific human rights abuses.
From Power to Exile
Ironically, Ali’s greatest danger under Amin did not come from the opposition, but from within the regime itself. As Finance Minister, he reportedly became increasingly popular, in part because of charitable efforts that benefited Muslim communities.
That popularity eventually drew suspicion. Like many senior officials under Amin, hebecame vulnerable as the president grew increasingly distrustful of those closest to him.
Reports suggest that Ali survived assassination attempts after relations with Amindeteriorated. He fled Uganda before Amin’s government collapsed during the Tanzania-Uganda War of 1979.
Rebel Leader in Exile
After Amin’s overthrow, Uganda entered another period of instability. Milton Obote’s returnto power after the disputed 1980 elections sparked new armed resistance across the country.
For many former soldiers from West Nile, the transition also raised fears of retaliation because of their association with Amin’s regime. From bases largely in southern Sudan, Moses Ali founded the Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF), becoming one of several rebel leaders challenging Obote’s second government.
Unlike Museveni’s National Resistance Army, which operated mainly in central Uganda, the UNRF was rooted in West Nile. It presented itself as defending communities that believed they had been politically marginalized after Amin’s fall.
The conflict helped prolong insecurity in northern Uganda in the early 1980s and reflected the fragmentation of armed opposition at the time. Though the UNRF never achieved the national reach of the NRA, Ali emerged as one of themost consequential regional commanders.
The rebellion would eventually lead him to yet another political transformation: from insurgent leader to senior figure in the government that defeated Obote.
Into Museveni’s Government
When the National Resistance Army captured power in January 1986 after a five-year guerrilla war, Uganda entered a new political order. For armed groups still active across the country, the question was whether to continue fighting or negotiate.
Ali chose negotiation.
Rather than prolong conflict in West Nile, he entered talks with the new government, leading to an agreement that integrated the UNRF into the NRA. The deal was widely seen as a major step toward stabilizing Uganda’s northwest and reintegrating former combatants into national institutions.
It also marked one of the most remarkable reversals in Uganda’s post-independence history: a man who had served under Amin and later rebelled against Obote now became a senior figure in Museveni’s administration.
Ali was commissioned into the NRA as a Major General, promoted to Lieutenant General in 2003, and elevated to full General in 2012. He retired from active military service around 2004, but remained one of the country’s most senior retired officers.
Long Ministerial Life
Few Ugandan politicians have held as many senior portfolios as Moses Ali. Since joining Museveni’s government in 1986, he served as Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports, Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Minister of Trade and Industry, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees.
His long ministerial record made him a trusted administrator, often assigned politically sensitive duties. His most enduring role, however, was as Deputy Prime Minister.
Over the years, he served in different capacities as Third Deputy Prime Minister, First Deputy Prime Minister, and most recently as Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament from 2021 to May 2026. In Parliament, he became one of government’s key voices, coordinating legislative business and defending executive policy during debate.
Adjumani’s Man
Ali’s electoral fortunes largely mirrored his national standing. After losing his parliamentary seat in 2006, many thought his political career had reached its twilight. Instead, he returned in 2011 and reclaimed the Adjumani West seat, which he retained in later elections, including the 2026 General Election.
His support in Adjumani rested on deep community loyalty and his long record of pushing development for West Nile. He consistently advocated for roads, electricity, bridges, health centres, schools and support for refugee-hosting communities.
He also supported international partnerships, including links with Sardinia in Italy, aimed at local development. In Parliament, he served on committees and remained active despite advanced age.
After the formation of the 12th Parliament in May 2026, he continued as MP for Adjumani West even after leaving Cabinet, carrying on his legislative work as younger leaders took over the executive arm of government.
Health and Public Debate
By 2025, Ali’s health had become almost as widely discussed as his politics. At 86, his public appearances increasingly reflected the physical effects of age. He sought specialized treatment abroad, including in Turkey, India and Germany.
His appearance in June 2025, when he was nominated for the NRM parliamentary primaries while seated inside his vehicle because he could not walk comfortably into the party offices, drew national attention. NRM Electoral Commission Chairperson Dr. Tanga Odoi personally processed his nomination.
Images from the event spread quickly on social media and reignited debate about age, leadership and public office. Critics questioned whether he remained physically able to serve.
Ali dismissed such talk as “political dark art,” insisting he was mentally alert and still capable of representing his constituents. Voters ultimately endorsed him. Despite limited mobility during parts of the campaign, he won the NRM flag and later secured re-election in the 2026 General Election.
Throughout the campaign, he pledged to complete his “unfinished work,” especially road construction, bridge development, electricity access and the pursuit of municipality status for Adjumani. He also suggested that the term might be his last, while stressing that leadership should be earned, not inherited.
A Family Loss
Behind the public figure was a private life marked by loss. On January 8, 2024, his wife, Sarah Ali, died at Medipal Hospital in Kampala after reportedly battling kidney-related complications. She had earlier received treatment in Turkey.
Her death was a major personal loss for a man who often spoke of family as central to his life. Ali is widely reported to have about 30 children from a polygamous family.
He repeatedly emphasized education at home. Several of his children became lawyers, while one daughter, Aisha, pursued doctoral studies at the University of Oxford. In 2026, another family milestone followed when his son, Siraj Musa Ali, was appointed Minister of State for Works in the new Cabinet.
That appointment sparked discussion about political succession, though Ali himself had repeatedly argued that no elected office should automatically pass from parent to child.
End of a Cabinet Era
The 2026 Cabinet reshuffle marked a major transition. For the first time in decades, Moses Ali was absent from the list of ministers. That departure ended one of the longest uninterrupted periods of executive service in modern Uganda.
But it did not end his political life. Sworn into the 12th Parliament on May 13, 2026,he remained an elected legislator and continued participating in parliamentary work. The shift also reflected a broader generational change in government, with younger ministers taking over executive responsibilities while veterans like Ali remained in advisory and legislative roles.
A Life Like Uganda’s History
Few political careers reflect Uganda’s post-independence evolution as completely as Moses Ali’s. He served under Milton Obote, Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni. He was a soldier, cabinet minister, exile, rebel commander, peace negotiator, general, lawyer, deputy prime minister and parliamentarian.
Each role belonged to a different chapter of the country’s history. That extraordinary adaptability explains why opinion about him remained so divided.
The Lion of Adjumani
The nickname “Lion of Adjumani” captured more than longevity. It reflected political resilience, military discipline and deep influence in West Nile.
Again and again, Ali returned from setbacks that might have ended another career. He survived the fall of governments, exile, rebellion, electoral defeat, health scares and repeated false reports of his death.
At 87, visibly frail but still active in Parliament, Gen. Moses Ali embodied both the endurance and the contradictions of Uganda’s post-independence leadership. His life moved through coups, war, reconciliation, constitutional politics and statecraft, a career defined not only by longevity, but by a rare ability to remain present in every era that tried to leave him behind.
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National Resistance Movement Deputy Secretary General Rose Namayanja Nsereko has launched the party’s mobilisation campaign in the Greater Masaka sub-region ahead of the upcoming LC I and Women Council elections. On Sunday, Namayanja chaired a high-level regional meeting at Hotel Brovad in Masaka City, bringing together NRM Members of Parliament, district party chairpersons, Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), security officials, registrars, and other party leaders from the 10 districts comprising the Greater Masaka sub-region. The meeting aimed to harmonise mobilisation strategies and strengthen the party’s grassroots structures ahead of the elections. Addressing the leaders, Namayanja commended the region’s NRM leadership for their efforts in helping the party regain political ground, including winning constituencies that had been under opposition for many years. She cited Kalangala District as an example, saying the party reclaimed the District Woman Member of Parliament seat after NRM leaders put aside their differences and worked together. Namayanja urged party leaders to maintain unity and ensure that all official NRM flag bearers win the upcoming LC I chairperson elections, describing Local Council leadership as the foundation of government service delivery and grassroots mobilisation. She also cautioned leaders against internal conflicts, warning that infighting weakens both the party and its support base. She said today’s leaders will still need one another in the 2031 General Election and should therefore avoid divisions that could undermine the party’s future. She also urged NRM leaders to sensitise voters that the Parish Development Model (PDM) is effectively on the ballot in the LC I Chairperson elections, emphasising that the leaders elected will play a key role in implementing and overseeing the programme. ” In addition to serving as LC 11 Chairpersons, the elected leaders are members of the Parish Development Committees. Electing non-NRM flag bearers could undermine the effective implementation of the Parish Development Model,” Namayanja said Namayanja called for intensified grassroots mobilisation to ensure a high voter turnout and decisive victories for NRM candidates in the forthcoming elections. The meeting is part of the NRM Secretariat’s nationwide mobilisation campaign ahead of the Women Council and LC 1 Chairperson elections scheduled for July 23 and July 28, respectively. Last Friday, the NRM Secretariat flagged off mobilisation teams to all regions of the country to engage party leaders and members, popularise the electoral roadmap, and rally support for NRM candidates in the upcoming grassroots elections.
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