If re-elected in 2026, Gen. Moses Ali will enter Uganda’s parliamentary record books as the first four-star general to serve as an MP at the age of 86.
Adjumani, Uganda: Veteran politician and Adjumani West MP, Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali, has dismissed circulating media and social media reports about his health as a “political dark art,” accusing his opponents of spreading black propaganda ahead of the 2026 elections.
Gen. Ali made the remarks on Monday, December 15, 2025, while addressing journalists at his residence in Abiricaku Cell, Adjumani Town, shortly before departing for a mega mobilisation rally in Ukusijoi Sub-county.
“Have you read the article claiming my personal doctor advised me to choose between politics and my health?” Gen. Ali asked. “That is a political dark art. My personal doctor has never issued any media statement.”
He questioned the credibility of the reports, noting that none of the articles identified the alleged doctor or disclosed his location. “Does any journalist in Uganda know my personal doctor, who is based in Germany?” he asked, describing the reports as fabricated and politically motivated.
Gen. Ali said claims that he had withdrawn from campaigns due to illness were false, adding that his public appearance at rallies would disprove the rumours. “I am going to Ukusijoi to thank voters for supporting me overwhelmingly. Let them see if I will collapse or die,” he said in a jovial tone.
The four-star general was flown to Türkiye (Turkey) for medical attention in 2021, shortly after being sworn in as Adjumani West MP and Second Deputy Prime Minister. His ailment was not publicly disclosed, but he later continued routine medical reviews in Germany.
Over time, Gen. Ali developed a speech impairment, which reduced the frequency of his public addresses. His aide and son, Bashir Ali, has occasionally spoken on his behalf during national engagements.
Persistent rumours about his death have circulated in Adjumani over recent years, with some political rivals reportedly declaring him dead even before official confirmation. Gen. Ali said he deliberately ignored the claims, describing them as “cheap and ineffective.”
“Each time they announce that I am dead, I resurface beaming with life,” he said, adding that the rumours had become politically poisonous for those spreading them.
Cultural elders in Adjumani have since cautioned younger people against celebrating or politicising death, saying such behaviour contradicts Madi cultural values, which regard disrespect toward elders as an abomination.
About Gen Moses Ali
Gen. Ali, now 86, joined government service in 1968 as a military cadet and rose through ranks across successive regimes to become Uganda’s first four-star general. He has served in Parliament and national leadership for decades, including as a member of the National Resistance Council (1989–1996), Constituent Assembly delegate, and MP for East Moyo and later Adjumani West.
He served in cabinet under President Idi Amin from 1974 before falling out with the regime and going into exile in 1978. After the NRM took power in 1986, Gen. Ali returned to government and has remained in cabinet since.
If re-elected in 2026, Gen. Ali would enter Uganda’s parliamentary record books as the first four-star general to serve as an MP at the age of 86.
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