Gen Moses Ali was born on 5th April 1939 in Atabo Parish, Pakele Division, in what is currently Adjumani District, in the West Nile region of Uganda to Muhammad Ali and Veronica Porsche Ali.
Education and Training
He attended Erepi Church of Uganda and sat for his Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) in 1957, proceeded to Church of Uganda Junior S. S. where he sat for his Junior School Certificate in 1959, he later joined Old Kampala S.S.S from 1964 to 1966 where he sat for his General Certificate of Education.
In 1968 he undertook Officer Cadet Training in Israel before doing Paratrooper Instructors Training in Israel in 1969 before doing a Company Commanders Course also Israel in 1970. In 1972 he also went to Camberly Staff College in the United Kingdom before proceeding to the University of Wolverhampton where he did a Certificate of Higher Education in Law in 2003.
He attended Makerere University for a Law Degree between 2003-2007 before proceeding to the Law Development Centre for a Diploma in Legal practice. In 2015, he went to the American Military University for a Master of Arts in Intelligence Studies.
He was Commissioned to the Rank of 2nd Lt and appointed Officer in charge of Training in the Uganda Paratrooper School in 1969, Promoted to the rank of Major and appointed Commander of the Paratrooper School in 1971, Promoted to the rank of Colonel in 1972, Appointed Minister of Provincial administration (Interior) and was decorated with the following medals in 1973 and Promoted to the rank of Brigadier in 1974.
Moses Ali was Appointed Minister of Finance in 1975, Appointed Minister Youth, Culture and Sports on 27th July 1986, Elected National Resistance Council (NRC) Member, East Moyo in 1989, Appointed Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities on 18th November 1994 before being appointed 3rd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities on 17th July 1995.
He was elected Member of Parliament for East Moyo in Adjumani District in 1996 and appointed 2nd Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Tourism, Trade and Industry the same year. He was appointed 2nd Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Internal Affairs on 26th September 2000.
The fallen General Moses Ali was re-elected Member of Parliament East Moyo Constituency on 24th June 2001 and re-appointed 2nd Deputy Prime Minister/Minister of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees a month later on 24th July 2001.
He was Promoted to the rank of lieutenant General on 13th March 2003 before being appointed 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees just two months later on 23rd May 2003.
Appointed 3RD Deputy Prime Minister/Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament in June 2011. He was promoted to a Four-Star General in June 2012. He was appointed 2nd Deputy Prime Minister/ Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament in June 2013 and had held this position until May 2026 when he was dropped from cabinet.
At the time of his death, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) had designated Moses Ali to serve on the parliamentary committee of ICT.
Museveni Signs Secret Pack With Moses Ali
When President Museveni dropped Gen. Moses Ali from his cabinet in May 2026, he appointed his son Siraj Ali as Minister of State for Works owing to a secret pact in Tripoli Museveni and Moses Ali signed in Tripoli Libya in the early 1980s which was brokered by the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the agreement united Museveni’s National Resistance Army (NRA) and Ali’s Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) in their struggle against Milton Obote’s.
Gaddafi pressured the two leaders into this alliance to avoid parallel rebel factions fighting each other. The deal outlined military cooperation and led to an agreement that Ali’s forces would hold Cabinet representation in a future government, which eventually paved the way for Ali’s long-standing integration and service in Museveni’s administration and this has now been passed to his family members.
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