Uganda’s 86-year-old Deputy PM, Gen. Moses Ali, collapses in public, Rushed to hospital unconscious
In a shocking incident that has sent ripples across East Africa, Uganda’s 86-year-old First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Affairs, Gen. Moses Ali, collapsed in public during an official engagement on Wednesday, leaving onlookers stunned as he was hurriedly rushed to a nearby hospital in an unconscious state, with medical authorities yet to issue an official update on his condition amid growing concerns over the health of the nation’s veteran political stalwart.
Gen. Ali, a battle-hardened military figure who has served in various high-profile capacities under President Yoweri Museveni’s long-standing administration, had only recently been re-elected as Member of Parliament for East Moyo County in the just-concluded general elections, marking yet another chapter in his enduring political career that spans decades of service marked by both accolades and controversies.
Eyewitnesses described the harrowing scene at the event venue in Kampala, where the nonagenarian leader suddenly slumped without warning, prompting immediate chaos as security aides and medical personnel scrambled to his side, administering first aid before ferrying him away in an ambulance amid frantic calls for calm from the gathered crowd.
The development comes at a sensitive time for Uganda’s government, which has faced scrutiny over the ages of its top leadership, with Gen. Ali’s collapse raising fresh questions about succession planning and the rigours of public office on elderly officials in a region where political longevity is often prized over youthful vigour.
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As of press time, sources close to the presidency confirmed that President Museveni had been briefed and was monitoring the situation closely, while opposition figures seized the moment to call for transparency on the health statuses of key government functionaries, drawing parallels to similar health scares involving aging leaders across the African continent.
