KAMPALA, November 2, 2026 — Security forces have arrested retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu in Soroti City following a prolonged manhunt over allegations of involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilise the Teso sub-region.
The arrest was announced on Monday evening by Colonel Chris Magezi, the Acting Director of Defence Public Information at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs.
In a statement, Magezi confirmed that the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces had been apprehended by security forces in Soroti City, where he had reportedly been hiding as intelligence agencies pursued investigations into alleged rebel activities.
“Renegade UPDF General Peter Elwelu has this evening been arrested by the security forces in Soroti City,” Magezi said.
He added that the retired general had been wanted over alleged involvement in activities intended to destabilise the Teso sub-region.
“Lt Gen Elwelu has been on the run over involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilise Teso. The security forces recently recovered 15 guns in his possession, military fatigues, and two pickup trucks. He will be charged and prosecuted in the courts of law accordingly,” Magezi said.
According to the military, the arrest follows a series of intelligence-led operations targeting suspected rebel activities and unauthorised military stockpiles in eastern Uganda.
Security agencies reportedly recovered 15 firearms, military uniforms and two pickup trucks during an operation linked to the former army commander.
Military sources indicated that Elwelu was being held at a secure facility as joint security teams completed investigations ahead of his expected appearance before the General Court Martial.
The circumstances surrounding his arrest, including the precise location of the operation and whether he was armed at the time, had not been publicly detailed by the military by Monday evening.
From military manhunt to arrest
Elwelu’s arrest follows days of escalating tension between the retired general and the country’s military leadership.
The controversy intensified on October 27 when Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly accused Elwelu of treachery and announced that he had stripped him of his military ranks, reducing him to that of a private.
In a series of posts on his official X account, Muhoozi also claimed that security forces had recovered weapons and ammunition from one of Elwelu’s homes in Teso.
He subsequently announced the arrest of more than 20 former soldiers associated with the retired general, although details of their identities and the charges they faced were not immediately made public.
The army chief gave Elwelu an ultimatum to surrender, warning that he would otherwise be declared a rebel.
On October 29, Muhoozi announced that security forces had arrested Elwelu’s driver and seized the vehicle the retired general had reportedly been using.
The military operations subsequently intensified, with reports of security deployments and searches around Elwelu’s ancestral home in Aloet Village, Kalaki District.
Family previously said he was in hiding
Before Monday’s arrest announcement, Elwelu’s relatives had told Daily Monitor that the retired general had gone into hiding because he feared for his life.
A relative disclosed that the former deputy army chief had become increasingly concerned after noticing individuals allegedly monitoring his movements. His family also disputed allegations that he was involved in organising an armed rebellion, describing the accusations as inconsistent with the person they knew.
His wife, Patricia Apolot, previously told the media that Elwelu had left their home for Kampala to spend time in prayer and had not returned.
She denied that her husband was planning to overthrow the government, insisting that he had no intention of taking up arms against the state.
The family had also questioned reports of weapons recovered from their property.
Who is Peter Elwelu?
Born on June 12, 1966, in present-day Kalaki District, Elwelu joined the National Resistance Army in 1987 and went on to serve in several senior military positions during a career spanning more than three decades.
He commanded the UPDF Second Division from 2013 to 2017 before being appointed Commander of the Land Forces in January 2017.
On June 24, 2021, he was elevated to Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, serving in the position until March 2024.
He was subsequently transferred to presidential advisory duties before retiring from active military service in August 2025.
Elwelu also became an internationally recognised figure following his command of the November 2016 military operation at the Buhikira Palace of the Rwenzururu Kingdom in Kasese.
The operation, which targeted royal guards accused of involvement in armed attacks and secessionist activities, resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people, including women and children.
The incident attracted widespread condemnation from human rights organisations, which questioned the force used by security personnel.
In May 2024, the United States sanctioned Elwelu over alleged human rights violations connected to the Kasese operation.
His arrest in Soroti now marks a major development in the unfolding security investigations involving the retired senior military officer.
The UPDF says he will face prosecution in the courts of law. However, the specific charges against him and the full details of the evidence underpinning the allegations had not been publicly disclosed by the time of publication.
