As Uganda moves closer to the 2026 General Elections, long-serving political heavyweights Matia Kasaija (81) and Gen. Moses Ali (86) have confirmed their intention to seek re-election to Parliament under the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party.
On Wednesday, June 5, 2025, both senior politicians picked nomination forms from the NRM Electoral Commission headquarters in Kampala, officially entering the race to retain their seats.
Matia Kasaija, Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development and MP for Buyanja County, Kibaale District, confirmed that while he intends to run again, this will be his final term in Parliament.
“Let the youth contest against me and I beat them hands down. Next term, I will leave it for them. This is my last term,” he told reporters shortly after picking the forms.
He defended his decision to run again despite his advanced age, asserting that none of his opponents pose a credible challenge:
“When I look at all my opponents, I don’t see anyone who can defeat me,” Kasaija added.
Similarly, Gen. Moses Ali, Uganda’s Second Deputy Prime Minister and MP for East Moyo County, picked his nomination forms, seeking yet another term despite being 86 years old. Ali, a former Finance Minister during Idi Amin’s regime, has served as East Moyo MP since 2011, making him one of the oldest active lawmakers in the country.
Their decision has reignited debates around generational leadership, succession planning, and the place of youth in Uganda’s political arena.
