Uganda’s first Deputy Prime Minister, General Moses Ali, has successfully retained his seat as the Adjumani West Member of Parliament in the 2026 elections.
Gen Ali, contesting on President Yoweri Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, defeated three other candidates to reclaim the constituency seat.
According to the Adjumani District Electoral Commission registrar, Christine Acai, Gen Ali garnered 12,854 votes, outpacing opposition contenders. Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Patrick Tandrupasi came second with 11,770 votes, while independent candidate Gasper Draga polled 522 and National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate Stephen Lyo trailed with 293 votes.
The 86-year-old veteran politician, whose career spans decades in both Uganda’s military and political arenas, has served in multiple government roles, including as Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
He first entered Uganda’s political landscape more than 20 years ago and has long been a dominant figure in the West Nile region. Gen. Ali’s re-election follows a closely watched NRM primary in which he retained the party flag, securing 8,609 votes against his closest rival, Nixon Owole, who received 4,492 votes.
His campaign emphasised completing key infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a bridge at Laropi over the Nile, upgrading health facilities, tarmacking major roads, and improving water and electricity access in rural areas.
Despite his victory, his candidacy has been the subject of public debate. Activists, including human rights defender Ssuuna James Kiggala, petitioned Constitutional Court to nullify his nomination, citing concerns about his advanced age and frail health and arguing that such conditions render him constitutionally unfit to represent his constituents effectively.
Gen Ali’s supporters, however, maintain that he remains capable of serving and point to his long record of service and continued grassroots support in Adjumani West.
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