Retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu has been arrested in Soroti City over alleged involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilise the Teso sub-region, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has said.
Col Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information, announced the arrest in a post on X on Monday evening, saying security forces had apprehended the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces.
“Renegade UPDF Officer Peter Elwelu has this evening been arrested by the security forces in Soroti City,” Magezi said.
He added that Elwelu had been on the run over alleged involvement in activities intended to destabilise Teso.
Magezi said security forces had recently recovered 15 guns, military fatigues and two pickup trucks allegedly linked to the retired general. He did not specify where the items were recovered or provide details of the alleged plot.
“He will be charged and prosecuted in the courts of law accordingly,” Magezi said. The UPDF had not, by the time of the announcement, disclosed the specific offences Elwelu would face or when he would appear in court.
The arrest follows days of public accusations by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who on October 27 accused Elwelu of treachery and announced that he had stripped him of his military ranks and reduced him to the rank of Private.
Gen Kainerugaba also said security forces had arrested more than 20 former soldiers who had served under Elwelu, claiming they were cooperating with investigators. He called on the retired general to surrender.
Elwelu’s family has, however, rejected the allegations. His wife, Patricia Apolot, previously denied that her husband was organising a rebellion and disputed claims that weapons had been recovered from their home in Soroti District.
In an interview reported by New Vision on October 29, Apolot said Elwelu had left for Kampala about two weeks earlier to pray. She said she did not believe he could organise an armed rebellion, adding that he wanted a peaceful country.
Elwelu is a former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and previously commanded the UPDF Land Forces. He also commanded the military operation against the Rwenzururu Kingdom in Kasese in November 2016, during which more than 100 people were killed.
The operation attracted criticism over alleged human rights violations. In May 2024, the United States imposed visa restrictions on Elwelu, citing extrajudicial killings committed by UPDF personnel under his command.
The latest allegations against Elwelu have not been tested in court. The UPDF says he will be prosecuted, but details of the charges and the evidence supporting them are yet to be made public.
