Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has announced the arrest of a man he describes as the personal witchdoctor of retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, escalating an increasingly bitter confrontation between the army chief and his former senior military colleague.
In a post on X on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Muhoozi claimed that security forces had arrested the unnamed individual, whom he accused of disguising himself as a pastor while allegedly engaging in occult practices.
“Yesterday, we arrested Elweru’s personal witchdoctor. He claims to be a pastor. Yet he is worshipping the devil everyday. The noose is tightening,” Muhoozi wrote.
The CDF did not identify the arrested man, disclose where he was detained or provide evidence supporting the allegations against him.
The announcement marks another development in the security operation targeting Elwelu, whose whereabouts have remained unknown amid allegations of plotting against the government and the military leadership.
Elwelu-Muhoozi feud takes a dramatic turn
The latest announcement comes against the backdrop of a rapidly escalating dispute between Muhoozi and Elwelu, a former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces who served in the country’s military leadership for several years.
The confrontation intensified on October 27 when Muhoozi publicly branded Elwelu a traitor, announced that he had stripped him of his military ranks and declared that he had been reduced from Lieutenant General to Private.
Muhoozi also claimed that security forces had arrested more than 20 former soldiers who had previously served under Elwelu, alleging that they were cooperating with investigators.
He subsequently warned Elwelu to surrender, saying his life could be in danger if he continued avoiding security forces. Monitor+1
On October 29, Muhoozi announced further security operations, claiming that more firearms and ammunition allegedly belonging to Elwelu had been recovered from different locations.
He also reported the arrest of Elwelu’s driver and the seizure of a vehicle the former army commander had reportedly been using. ChimpReports+1
Allegations of assassination plot and rebellion
The dispute took an even more serious turn when Andrew Mwenda, spokesperson for the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), accused Elwelu of planning to assassinate Muhoozi and seize power.
Mwenda alleged that Elwelu had recruited individuals into a militia and intended to eliminate the CDF as part of a wider plan to take control of the country.
Mwenda also accused the retired general of using Christian religious activities to conceal alleged preparations for an armed rebellion.
However, neither Mwenda nor Muhoozi has publicly presented independently verifiable evidence substantiating these allegations. Pulse Uganda+1
Elwelu’s family says he fears for his life
While the military leadership has portrayed Elwelu as a fugitive involved in serious security offences, his relatives have disputed the accusations and suggested that he went into hiding because he feared for his personal safety.
Speaking to Daily Monitor on October 28, an unnamed relative said Elwelu had noticed suspicious individuals tracking his movements and subsequently stopped attending public and family engagements.
The family also questioned the allegations against him, insisting that he had served the UPDF and President Yoweri Museveni diligently.
His whereabouts have not been officially established. Monitor
Questions over Elwelu’s military rank
Muhoozi’s announcement that Elwelu had been demoted from Lieutenant General to Private has also raised questions about military disciplinary procedures.
Daily Monitor reported that the UPDF Act provides formal legal protections governing the demotion of commissioned officers, including requirements for military judicial proceedings.
The newspaper noted that Muhoozi’s social media declaration had not been accompanied by formal military documentation confirming the purported demotion.
Elwelu previously commanded the UPDF Land Forces and served as Deputy CDF before being replaced in March 2024. He retired from active military service in August 2025.
He also attracted international scrutiny over his command role during the November 2016 military operation against the Rwenzururu Kingdom palace in Kasese, which left more than 100 people dead. The United States imposed visa restrictions on him in 2024 over alleged human rights violations connected to the operation.
Muhoozi’s latest announcement introduces another controversial dimension to the unfolding saga, bringing religious allegations into an already serious confrontation involving claims of rebellion, alleged weapons stockpiling and arrests of people associated with the retired general.
Neither the UPDF nor other relevant security authorities had, in the reports reviewed, provided an independent account of the latest alleged witchdoctor arrest or explained its connection to the investigation involving Elwelu.
