Former Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Lt Gen (Rtd) Peter Elwelu, has been arrested by security forces in Soroti City as the military intensifies investigations into allegations that he was involved in activities aimed at destabilising security in the Teso sub-region.
The arrest was announced on Monday evening, November 2, 2026, by Chris Magezi in a breaking update posted on his official X account.
According to Magezi, Elwelu was apprehended after weeks of being on the run following allegations of involvement in subversive activities and plans to undermine peace and security in eastern Uganda.
“Renegade UPDF Officer Peter Elwelu has this evening been arrested by the security forces in Soroti City,” Magezi announced.
He further claimed that security forces had recently recovered 15 guns, military fatigues and two pickup trucks allegedly connected to the former senior military commander.
Magezi said Elwelu would be charged and prosecuted in courts of law, although the specific charges have not yet been publicly disclosed.
The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in a developing security controversy that has attracted national attention, particularly following public statements by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba accusing the retired general of engaging in activities against the government.
Manhunt follows alleged recovery of firearms
Elwelu’s arrest comes after several days of heightened security operations targeting the former army commander and individuals suspected of working with him.
On October 27, 2026, Gen Muhoozi publicly accused Elwelu of stockpiling firearms and ammunition at one of his homes in Teso.
In a series of posts on X, the army chief claimed that security forces had recovered a substantial quantity of military equipment and ammunition from the former general’s property.
Muhoozi subsequently gave Elwelu an ultimatum to surrender, warning that he would be declared a rebel if he failed to comply.
The CDF also announced that he had stripped Elwelu of his military ranks and purportedly reduced him from Lieutenant General to Private, while reporting the arrest of more than 20 former soldiers who had previously served under him.
The legal status of the publicly announced demotion was, however, questioned, with reports highlighting that changes to the rank of a senior military officer are governed by established military procedures. Monitor+1
The military operations reportedly extended to Elwelu’s associates, with Gen Muhoozi later announcing the arrest of the former commander’s driver and the seizure of a vehicle he had allegedly been using.
Family previously denied rebellion allegations
Before Monday’s reported arrest, Elwelu’s whereabouts had become a subject of considerable speculation, with reports indicating that he had gone into hiding over fears for his personal safety.
On October 28 the retired general had disappeared from public view after allegedly noticing suspicious individuals tracking his movements.
The family questioned the accusations against him, arguing that he had served the country diligently and had no reason to organise an armed rebellion against the government.
His wife, Apolot, also dismissed suggestions that her husband was involved in plans to destabilise the country.
She maintained that Elwelu was innocent and denied that their home had been used to stockpile firearms and ammunition.
She explained that her husband had left for Kampala for a period of prayer and had not returned.
The family also questioned the circumstances surrounding the security operations at their residences. Monitor+1
Tension spreads across Teso
The controversy has generated anxiety in parts of the Teso sub-region, particularly in Kalaki District, where Elwelu comes from.
His ancestral home is in Aloet Village, Anyara Parish, Anyara Sub-county, Kalaki District.
On Monday, Daily Monitor published a detailed profile of the former general, reporting that his home had been deserted amid heightened security activity.
The publication also reported that residents had become concerned about the developments surrounding the former military commander.
Meanwhile, former State Minister for Works Musa Ecweru, who previously commanded the auxiliary Arrow Boys force, had publicly warned Elwelu to surrender, cautioning against any attempt to destabilise the region.
Ecweru urged him to abandon any alleged plans for rebellion and seek a peaceful resolution through recognised leaders in the region. Monitor+1
The Arrow Boys were originally formed as a community defence force to protect Teso communities against attacks by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony.
Who is Peter Elwelu?
Elwelu is one of the most prominent military commanders to have served in the UPDF, having risen through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
Born on June 12, 1966, in present-day Kalaki District, Elwelu joined the military in 1987 after receiving military training at Tanzania’s Monduli Military Academy.
His military career spanned several decades, during which he occupied some of the most influential positions in Uganda’s armed forces.
He commanded the UPDF Second Division between June 2013 and January 2017 before being appointed Commander of Land Forces in January 2017.
In June 2021, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni appointed him Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, serving alongside Gen Wilson Mbadi, who was then the CDF.
However, in March 2024, Museveni reorganised the military leadership, replacing Mbadi with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba as CDF and appointing Lt Gen Sam Okiding as deputy.
Elwelu subsequently served as Senior Presidential Adviser on Teso and Karamoja affairs before his retirement from the military in 2025. Ministry of Defence Uganda+3
His military career was also marked by controversy surrounding the November 2016 UPDF operation at the Rwenzururu Kingdom palace in Kasese, where more than 100 people were killed.
Elwelu was the commander of the UPDF Second Division at the time of the operation. The United States later imposed visa restrictions on him in 2024 over alleged gross human rights violations linked to the Kasese operation. Monitor+1
What next for the former army commander?
Elwelu’s reported arrest now brings a new dimension to the escalating confrontation between the former deputy army chief and the current military leadership.
Security authorities are expected to provide further details regarding the circumstances of his arrest, the allegations against him and the evidence being relied upon by investigators.
It also remains unclear where he will be detained, when he will be presented before court and the specific offences he will face.
For now, the arrest represents a major development in an extraordinary security saga involving one of Uganda’s most senior retired military officers.
Elwelu remains entitled to the presumption of innocence, and the allegations against him will have to be established through the judicial process.
