Former Works Minister Musa Ecweru has warned retired Lt Gen Peter Elwelu to surrender to recognised authorities or face a coordinated search by members of the Arrow Boys, an auxiliary vigilante force associated with the Teso sub-region.
The warning comes amid a military operation targeting the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), with Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announcing fresh seizures of weapons, ammunition and vehicles allegedly linked to the retired general.
In posts on X, Gen Kainerugaba said Elwelu’s driver had been arrested during the operation in Teso, although details about the latest seizures, the circumstances of the arrest and the whereabouts of the retired officer were not independently established in the information available.
Ecweru, a senior figure associated with the Arrow Boys, has called on Elwelu to surrender to recognised authorities, warning that the group could organise searches for him if he fails to comply.
The warning raises concerns about the involvement of an auxiliary force in an operation already being conducted by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), particularly if the proposed searches extend beyond the military’s established chain of command.
The military has not, in the material available, publicly detailed the legal basis for the operation or clarified whether the Arrow Boys have been formally authorised to participate.
Gen Kainerugaba has also announced changes to the military’s promotion and fitness requirements following the developments involving Elwelu.
“From now on before one is promoted to the rank of General in UPDF, they will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine if they are sane or not?” he wrote on X, adding that senior officers would undergo annual fitness tests.
The CDF also referred to Elwelu in derogatory terms in the post, although no independent medical assessment of the retired officer was provided.
Separately, journalist Andrew Mwenda alleged on X that Elwelu had recruited a militia to plot Gen Kainerugaba’s assassination.
“Private Elweru was planning to kill the CDF,” Mwenda wrote, claiming that members of the alleged militia had told their recruits that killing Gen Kainerugaba would enable Elwelu to take over the country.
The allegations have not been independently verified, and no formal charge or court finding establishing the alleged assassination plot was included in the information available.
Elwelu’s wife has reportedly denied that her husband has links to rebel activity following a raid on their home.
The latest developments have placed Teso at the centre of a security operation involving a retired senior military officer, allegations of an assassination plot and calls for local auxiliary forces to join the search.
Elwelu previously served as Deputy Chief of Defence Forces before his retirement. Gen Kainerugaba has referred to him as a private in his social media posts, but the formal status and administrative basis of any reported demotion were not established in the available information.
The UPDF has not been quoted in the material provided as issuing a detailed statement addressing the allegations, the reported seizures or the role of the Arrow Boys.
The allegations against Elwelu remain claims rather than established facts, pending official clarification and any relevant legal proceedings.
