Kabushenga Remembers Gen Moses Ali: The Soldier, Statesman and Complex Legacy

What the report says

Nile Post published a tribute by former Vision Group chief executive Robert Kabushenga to Gen. (Rtd.) Moses Ali, presenting him as a disciplined military figure, courteous political actor and effective public servant, while also acknowledging the contested nature of his long career. Kabushenga writes that he first knew of Ali in 1978, when Ali was finance minister, and later dealt with him directly while Ali was serving as deputy prime minister.

Kabushenga recalls several encounters at Vision Group, saying Ali would arrive without ceremony, wait to be received and raise issues directly. One meeting concerned ethnic and religious tensions in West Nile, where a Vision Group radio station had become entangled in local disputes. According to Kabushenga, Ali chose to explain the situation and advise on how to handle it rather than escalate the matter politically.

The tribute also highlights Ali’s ambition for the rank of full general, which he later received, and his interest in documenting the Nubi community in Uganda. Kabushenga says Ali recounted being hidden in Bombo by members of his mother’s Nubi community after political fallout linked to Idi Amin’s invasion of Tanzania, until Amin’s government was overthrown.

Nile Post’s article frames Ali’s final major public role as chairing Uganda’s Covid-19 National Task Force, where Kabushenga describes him as focused on decisions and accountability. The piece also notes criticism of Ali’s extended time in public life and how his later political appearances shaped public perceptions. The tribute concludes that Ali’s legacy remains significant but complicated, reflecting Uganda’s turbulent political history.