Adjumani, Uganda: Veteran politician and Adjumani West Member of Parliament Gen (Rtd) Moses Ali has accused self-exiled human rights activist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija and his associates of acting as pawns of Western powers seeking to undermine the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and its senior leadership.
Speaking during a heated press briefing at his Abiricaku residence in Adjumani Town on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Gen Ali dismissed criticism and legal challenges against him, declaring that Kakwenza was insignificant compared to his own political and military stature.
“Kakwenza is a fly, I am the chameleon. He is a fugitive with a warrant of arrest over his head. Instead of learning, he is daring a hardened, fierce and tested four-star general of the UPDF,” Gen Ali said.
The six-time parliamentary aspirant said he was unfazed by a reported petition before the Constitutional Court seeking to bar him from contesting in the 2026 General Elections, insisting that he had not been formally served and that the petition had already expired unless refiled.
“I am not scared. I have four accomplished lawyers in my family, including myself, ready to tackle any petition. But up to now, court has not served me,” Gen Ali said.
He accused Kakwenza of lacking the courage to confront him directly, claiming the activist relies on backing from Western allies to challenge Uganda’s long-serving leaders.
“I have fought all kinds of wars and emerged unscathed. I understand the rules of engagement. In any conflict, the righteous always prevail,” he added.
Addressing criticism over his age, Gen Ali acknowledged that he is elderly but dismissed age-based attacks as politically motivated and legally unfounded.
“Am I the only old person in Uganda or West Nile? The law allows older persons and persons with disabilities to be represented in Parliament. The rule is simple – defeat me or be defeated in the 2026 elections,” he said.
Gen Ali further challenged his critics to reflect on Uganda’s political history, arguing that his name features prominently across successive governments from the Obote I era to the present.
“Sit down and tell the Kakwenzas the political history of Uganda. Can it be told without Gen Ali appearing on most of the pages?” he asked.
Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, together with activist Ssuuna James Kiggala, recently petitioned the Constitutional Court challenging Gen Ali’s suitability to contest as MP for Adjumani West in the 2026 elections.
Through Kiiza & Mugisha Advocates, the petitioners argue that nominating the visibly frail and immobile 86-year-old retired general violates constitutional principles of effective representation and good governance under Uganda’s 1995 Constitution.
The petition, filed on November 1, 2025, challenges the NRM’s decision to nominate Gen Ali as its flag bearer on June 17, 2025, a move later endorsed by the Electoral Commission on October 22, 2025.
The petitioners contend that Gen Ali appeared unable to speak, walk or move unaided during both party and national nominations, describing the process as “a pitiable and unconstitutional spectacle.”
They argue that the actions of the NRM and the Electoral Commission contravene Articles 1, 8A, 17, 38(1), 61 and 79 of the Constitution, which guarantee citizen sovereignty, accountability and effective representation.
The activists are seeking declarations that Gen Ali’s nomination and potential tenure as MP are unconstitutional, null and void.
Meanwhile, the head of Gen Ali’s legal team said they are yet to receive formal notice from the Constitutional Court and declined to comment on what he described as an unserved petition circulating in the media.
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