Ali Fadhul (c. 1940 – 2 November 2021) was a Ugandan military officer and convicted criminal who served as governor, minister and army chief of staff during the dictatorship of President Idi Amin.

[7] He took part in the 1971 Ugandan coup d'état that resulted in Obote's overthrow and initiated Idi Amin's presidency.

Described by researcher Andrew Rice as "an Amin confidante and notorious brute",[10] Fadhul was granted command of the Uganda Army's Simba Battalion[11] and tasked with eliminating soldiers loyal to the deposed President Obote.

[10] In addition, he was possibly connected to the deaths of journalist Nicholas Stroh and Makerere University lecturer Robert Siedle.

As a confidant of Amin, Fadhul repeatedly spent his time in Kampala to assist the President; his second-in-command Yusuf Gowon was thus responsible for the battalion's day-to-day operations.

[14] Fadhul later stated that he felt like a foreigner in southern Uganda, knowing neither local customs nor speaking the languages of Ankole.

Facing latent insurgent activity, he reportedly relied on a number of civilian assistants to identify opponents of Amin's government.

[13] In this position, he mostly acted as an absentee official, often staying in Kampala and only involving himself in northern affairs by exhorting increases in cotton production, exploiting local smugglers and businesses, and suppressing rebel activity.

In January 1979, he was featured in Ugandan radio propaganda: In his capacity as Minister for Provincial Administration, he had reportedly met Buganda elders during an official meeting with Amin, telling them how much the President respected them.

[31] According to the Uganda National Liberation Front, journalist Godwin Matatu, and Indian diplomat Madanjeet Singh, he joined other regime officials in fleeing to Kenya.

Several witnesses testified that between 21 and 22 September 1972, they saw Fadhul arrest Tibayungwa and force him into a car, accusing him of working with rebels.

[30] By 2010, he could no longer sit, eat or walk on his own, and had to receive regular treatments at Nsambya Hospital and by doctors hired by his family to stay alive.

The former chairperson of Bulumagi, Mohammed Kasule Byansi, lamented Fadhul's death, describing him as "great man in our society" who had supported locals by sponsoring education and helping individuals to enlist in the military.

[5] In contrast, The Australian's obituary by journalist Alan Howe described Fadhul as "murderer" and "Amin's most faithful servant".