Uganda's military has arrested Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the country's former deputy Chief of Defence Forces, after a days-long manhunt, accusing the retired three-star general of stockpiling weapons and plotting to destabilise the Teso sub-region in the east of the country. His family insists he is innocent.

Picked up in Soroti

The army's acting defence spokesman, Col Chris Magezi, announced on Monday evening that Elwelu had been arrested by security forces in Soroti City. Describing him as a "renegade" general, Magezi said troops had recovered 15 firearms, military fatigues and two pickup trucks that the army links to him, and that he "will be charged and prosecuted in the courts of law accordingly."

As of Tuesday, the army had not said where Elwelu was being held, what charges he will face or when he will be taken to court. The Associated Press, in a report carried by Africanews, noted that the government had not substantiated the allegations. Elwelu himself could not be reached for comment.

Muhoozi's ultimatum

The arrest followed a public campaign against the general by Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Yoweri Museveni's son. In the days before, Muhoozi had accused Elwelu of gathering arms and organising against the government after his retirement, ordered that he be captured alive and gave him an ultimatum to surrender or be declared a rebel.

Muhoozi also said more than 20 former soldiers allegedly linked to Elwelu had been detained, and on 29 October announced that troops had recovered more guns and ammunition, arrested the general's driver and seized the vehicle he last used. The army chief further declared that Elwelu had been stripped of his rank and reduced to a private, a step Ugandan outlet ChimpReports noted has raised legal questions because no formal military proceedings have been reported.

Family says he went to pray

Elwelu's wife, Apolot, told local media that her husband had left home for a period of prayer and denied that any weapons were found at their home. "My husband is innocent and cannot, even for a minute, think of starting a rebellion," she said. Relatives said he went into hiding because he feared for his safety.

From land forces commander to suspect

Elwelu is one of the best-known officers of his generation in the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF). He commanded the land forces before serving as deputy Chief of Defence Forces from June 2021 until March 2024, when he became a senior presidential adviser on Teso and Karamoja affairs. He retired from the army in August 2025. He was once reported to have clashed with Muhoozi over military operations, a dispute that Museveni personally mediated.

The case comes at a sensitive moment in Kampala's politics. Museveni was sworn in for a seventh term in May, and Muhoozi, widely seen as his likely successor, has since declared that he will run for president in 2031. Uganda has never seen a peaceful transfer of power since independence.

For Kenya, which borders Uganda's eastern region, the claims of unrest in Teso will be watched closely. No violence linked to the alleged plot has been reported.

Photos: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0); Ssemmanda Will via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.