Mufti Leads Janazah Prayer for Gen. Moses Ali
Hundreds of thousands of mourners from all walks of life gathered in Adjumani District on Wednesday for the historic state burial of Rt. Hon. Gen. (Rtd) Moses Ali, a distinguished son of Uganda, former Second Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Leader of Government Business, who served the country in various government portfolios for more than five decades.
The state funeral was led by the Vice President, H.E. Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo, who represented President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Other dignitaries included the Second Deputy Prime Minister, Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga, who represented the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Robinah Nabbanja, Third Deputy Prime Minister Hajjat Lukia Nakadama Isanga, Cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament, UPDF generals and senior military officers, diplomats, senior government officials, and heads of institutions, including the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU).
The Muslim community was led by the Mufti of Uganda, His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, accompanied by his deputies, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa and Dr. Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Harunah Bukenya. They were joined by the West Nile Regional Assistant to the Mufti, Sheikh Mahdi Mahmood Raihan, district khadis, county sheikhs, imams, prominent Muslim leaders, senior Christian clergy, cultural leaders, members of the bereaved family, and other mourners.
The funeral service was held under large tents erected on the Adjumani Town sports grounds, where mourners listened to tributes from national leaders throughout the day before the late Gen. Ali was laid to rest in the Muslim cemetery near the main mosque.
Speakers described Gen. Moses Ali as a patriot, freedom fighter, peace builder, champion of education, devout Muslim, successful commercial farmer, and dedicated community leader whose contribution to Uganda’s development will be remembered for generations.
Vice President Jessica Alupo described the late Gen. Ali as a father figure and role model, assuring mourners that government would fulfill the development programmes he had championed, including settling outstanding payments to former Uganda National Rescue Front (UNRF) ex-combatants who fought alongside him to restore peace in the West Nile region.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa paid tribute to Gen. Ali for his role in ensuring that the Nubian community was recognised as one of Uganda’s indigenous communities during the 1993 Constitutional making process.
Meanwhile, Capt. (Rtd) Mike Mukula recalled Gen. Ali’s contribution to Uganda’s liberation struggle, noting that he facilitated the acquisition of arms from the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which were later used by the National Resistance Army during the liberation war.
The state ceremony concluded with the Janazah (Muslim funeral prayer), led by the Mufti of Uganda, Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje. In his sermon, the Mufti cited the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), saying that when a believer passes on and those left behind testify to his good character, it is a sign that Allah has accepted the deceased and granted him His mercy and Paradise.
Referring to the tributes paid to the late Gen. Ali, the Mufti prayed that Allah grants him forgiveness, abundant mercy, and eternal rest in Paradise.
The Mufti also thanked President Museveni for according Gen. Ali a state funeral and appreciated the bereaved family and the organising committee for accepting his guidance regarding the burial arrangements. He explained that while Islamic tradition encourages burial within 24 hours of death, the family accepted a delay to allow the country to accord the late statesman a befitting state send-off at the President’s request.
He urged Muslims to regard the delayed burial of Gen. Ali as an exceptional circumstance rather than a precedent, emphasizing that Islamic teachings continue to require the prompt burial of the deceased whenever circumstances permit.