Retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, one of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ (UPDF) former senior commanders, was arrested in Soroti City on Monday, 2 November 2026, over allegations of involvement in activities aimed at destabilising the Teso sub-region.
The UPDF announced his arrest following days of security operations and a search for the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF).
Acting UPDF spokesperson Col Chris Magezi said Elwelu had been on the run before security forces apprehended him. He also said security agencies had recently recovered 15 guns, military fatigues and two pickup trucks allegedly linked to the retired general.
“He will be charged and prosecuted in the courts of law accordingly,” Magezi said, without specifying the offences Elwelu would face.
Elwelu’s arrest has brought renewed attention to a military career spanning nearly four decades, during which he rose from an ordinary soldier to one of the highest-ranking officers in Uganda.
Born on 12 June 1966 in present-day Kalaki District, formerly part of Soroti District, Elwelu grew up in Aloet Village, Anyara Sub-county, in the Teso sub-region.
According to the Daily Monitor article published on November 2, 2026, Elwelu lost his father while he was still young. His mother, identified as Aguti, struggled to raise a family of seven and brewed local alcohol to earn money for their upkeep and his education. Despite the family’s financial difficulties, his mother prioritised his schooling.
Elwelu began primary school at Anyara Primary School in 1973, aged seven, before joining Kalaki Secondary School, where he completed his Ordinary Level (O-Level) education in 1984.
However, he did not immediately continue with his studies because of financial constraints and insecurity caused by the Uganda People’s Army (UPA) insurgency in Teso during the 1980s.
His relative, Peter Esemu, told Daily Monitor that Elwelu had hoped to join Teso College Aloet but could not because his family could not afford the school fees and the region was experiencing insecurity.
Elwelu joined the National Resistance Army (NRA), the predecessor of the UPDF, in 1987, a year after the NRA took power.
According to Esemu, Elwelu walked from Anyara to Soroti Town, where he enlisted as an ordinary soldier.
He later received military training at the Tanzania Military Academy in Monduli. He was subsequently posted to the military installation at Kabamba before joining the Cadet Officer School at Gaddafi Military Barracks in Jinja in 1995. His military career took him to several conflict zones, both within and outside Uganda.
Elwelu served in military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), then known as Zaire, where Ugandan forces fought alongside the Rwandan military during the campaign that led to the overthrow of President Mobutu Sese Seko.
In 1999, he was deployed to northern Uganda to fight Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). During the operation, he survived after being shot in the back.
In 2007, he commanded Uganda’s first military contingent deployed to Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). He received commendation from the then Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala, for his service during the deployment.
Elwelu continued rising through the military ranks, serving as commander of the UPDF’s 3rd Division based in Moroto before being appointed commander of the 2nd Division in Mbarara in June 2013.
One of the most controversial episodes of his military career occurred in November 2016, when he commanded the UPDF’s 2nd Division during an operation against the Rwenzururu Kingdom in Kasese. The operation involved a raid on the palace of King Charles Wesley Mumbere following allegations that royal guards were planning an armed rebellion.
More than 100 people, including women and children, were killed during the clashes. The operation attracted widespread criticism from human rights groups and other observers over the use of force by security personnel.
In January 2017, Elwelu was appointed Commander of Land Forces, a position he held until June 2021.
He was promoted from Major General to Lieutenant General in February 2019, alongside more than 2,000 other UPDF officers and soldiers who received promotions.
On 24 June 2021, President Yoweri Museveni appointed him Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, making him the second-highest-ranking officer in the military at the time.
He held the position until March 2024, when changes in the military leadership saw him replaced. In July 2024, he was appointed to a presidential advisory role covering government activities in the Teso and Karamoja sub-regions.
He subsequently retired from active military service in 2025.
After leaving active military service, Elwelu became more involved in religious activities and community work in his home area of Aloet.
According to the Daily Monitor profile, his relative Peter Esemu said the retired general established a prayer altar at his home, where residents gathered for worship every Saturday. He also preached on a local radio station.
The publication further quoted Aloet LC1 chairperson Samuel Peter Ewinyu as saying Elwelu had been involved in charity work and supported the education of underprivileged children in the community.
However, his retirement was overshadowed by a public dispute with the current Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, in October 2026.
Kainerugaba accused Elwelu of involvement in activities aimed at destabilising the country and publicly called on him to surrender. He also announced the arrest of former soldiers allegedly linked to the retired general.
The military subsequently reported recovering firearms and other items allegedly connected to Elwelu before announcing his arrest in Soroti on 2 November.
Elwelu’s family has previously rejected allegations that he was organising an armed rebellion against the government.
The UPDF says he will be charged and prosecuted, but the specific offences he will face have not yet been disclosed. The allegations against him remain to be tested in court.
