By Swift Reporter
More details have emerged about the health struggles of veteran politician and former Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali, revealing that he once survived emergency brain surgery after collapsing in Adjumani more than two decades ago.
The revelation was made by former minister Capt. Mike Mukula, a longtime friend of the late general, in an emotional tribute following Moses Ali’s death on July 18, 2026, at Nakasero Hospital. He was 87.
Mukula described the late statesman as a patriot, freedom fighter and loyal friend, recounting a dramatic incident in 2001 when Moses Ali suddenly collapsed while in Adjumani.
According to Mukula, he immediately dispatched his LET 410 aircraft to airlift the ailing general to Entebbe before arranging an ambulance to transport him to Mulago National Referral Hospital for emergency treatment.
“I vividly remember when he collapsed in Adjumani in 2001. I immediately dispatched my aircraft LET 410 to airlift him to Entebbe, arranged an ambulance to Mulago Hospital, where an emergency neurosurgical operation successfully removed a blood clot from his brain, giving him a new lease on life,” Mukula wrote.
The emergency operation successfully removed a blood clot from Moses Ali’s brain, allowing him to recover and continue serving the country for many more years.
Mukula said the incident strengthened a friendship that had spanned decades, with the two remaining close throughout their political careers.
He recalled that Moses Ali frequently visited his home in Bugolobi, while he often travelled to the general’s ancestral home in Adjumani as well as his residence in Kampala. The two also served together in Cabinet and on the National Resistance Movement’s Central Executive Committee, where Moses Ali represented Northern Uganda and Mukula represented Eastern Uganda.
Mukula also remembered officiating at the launch of Moses Ali’s book, The Nubian Dynasty, describing it as one of many memorable moments they shared.
“Uganda has lost a courageous son, but I have lost a cherished friend,” Mukula said.
For years, concerns had persisted over Moses Ali’s health as his mobility gradually declined. At several public functions, he appeared physically frail and often relied on aides to help him walk, stand or reach the podium. He was also occasionally seen struggling with tremors.
Despite his health challenges, Moses Ali remained one of Uganda’s most influential political figures. Widely regarded as the country’s longest-serving minister, he served in successive governments for decades before being dropped from Cabinet during the reshuffle announced on May 26, 2026. In the same reshuffle, his son, Siraj Musa Ali, was appointed Minister of State for Works.
President Yoweri Museveni paid tribute to the late general, describing him as a dedicated soldier, accomplished political leader and model farmer whose contribution to Uganda’s peace and development would be remembered for generations.
Gen. Moses Ali died at Nakasero Hospital on July 18, bringing to a close a public service career that spanned several decades and left a lasting mark on Uganda’s political history.
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