Security forces have arrested retired Lt Gen Peter Elwelu in Soroti City over allegations of involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilise the Teso sub-region.
According to information released by Cris Magezi, the Acting Director of communications on Monday evening, Elwelu had been on the run before his arrest.
The security forces further claimed that they had recently recovered 15 guns, military fatigues and two pickup trucks allegedly linked to the former deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
Authorities said Elwelu would be charged and prosecuted in courts of law, although details of the specific charges and the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not immediately available.
The reported arrest marks a major development in the security operation targeting the retired general, who previously occupied some of the highest positions in the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
From Teso to the army’s top ranks
Elwelu was born on June 12, 1966, in present-day Kalaki District, formerly part of Soroti District. He joined the National Resistance Army (NRA), the predecessor of the UPDF, in 1987, shortly after the National Resistance Movement government took power.
According to accounts of his early life, Elwelu’s education was disrupted by financial difficulties and the insecurity that affected Teso during the insurgency of the 1980s.
He subsequently joined the army as an ordinary soldier and rose through the ranks over nearly four decades of military service.
He later attended military training at the Tanzania Military Academy in Monduli before being posted to the military installation at Kabamba. In 1995, he transferred to the Cadet Officer School at Gaddafi Military Barracks in Jinja.
During his military career, Elwelu served in several operational assignments, including deployments in the Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Uganda, where government forces fought the Lord’s Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony.
In 2007, he commanded Uganda’s first military contingent deployed to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which was established to support the Somali government against armed groups.
His career subsequently advanced through senior command positions, including commander of the UPDF’s Third Division and Second Division.
In June 2013, he was appointed commander of the Second Division, based in Mbarara, a position he held until January 2017.
Rise to senior army leadership
In January 2017, Elwelu was appointed commander of the UPDF Land Forces, placing him among the most senior officers in the military hierarchy. He was promoted to lieutenant general in February 2019.
President Yoweri Museveni appointed him Deputy Chief of Defence Forces in June 2021, making him the second-highest-ranking officer in the UPDF at the time.
However, his military career also attracted controversy.
In November 2016, Elwelu commanded the army operation against the Rwenzururu Kingdom’s palace in Kasese District. The operation left more than 100 people dead, including civilians, according to reports at the time, and drew criticism over the force used by security personnel.
King Charles Wesley Mumbere and hundreds of his subjects were arrested following the operation and faced various charges. The government later dropped the charges in June 2023.
Elwelu served as Deputy Chief of Defence Forces until March 2024, when he was replaced. He subsequently continued in public service before retiring from the army in August 2025.
Allegations of destabilising Teso
The reported arrest comes amid escalating security concerns surrounding the retired general and allegations of an alleged plot to destabilise the government.
In late October, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly claimed that security personnel had recovered firearms and ammunition from one of Elwelu’s residences in Teso. He also announced the arrest of former soldiers allegedly linked to the retired officer and called on him to surrender.
Elwelu’s family members have previously disputed allegations that he was involved in a rebellion, with relatives expressing surprise at the accusations against him.
The latest reported arrest is likely to intensify public attention on the case, particularly in Teso, where Elwelu comes from and built his early life before rising through the military ranks.
It remains important for investigators to establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged activities and for the prosecution to present its evidence in court.
Elwelu is presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a competent court of law.
