Uganda: Uganda Arrests Former Army Deputy Chief

What the report says

Ugandan military authorities say they have arrested former deputy chief of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces and presidential adviser Peter Elwelu, accusing him of involvement in activities meant to destabilise the country. The report, carried by AllAfrica from The New Times, says the arrest was announced on Monday, Nov. 2, through a post by UPDF acting spokesperson Chris Magezi on X.

Magezi described Elwelu as a renegade officer and said security forces believed he was linked to subversive plans, including alleged efforts to destabilise the Teso region. The military also said it recovered weapons, military fatigues and two pickup trucks in connection with the case. The article did not provide independent evidence for those claims, and the allegations remain those of the Ugandan military as reported by the publisher.

The development follows recent public actions by Uganda’s defence chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said he had stripped Elwelu of his lieutenant general rank and reduced him to a private. Kainerugaba also previously accused Elwelu of stockpiling weapons and organising anti-government activity, according to the report. The case is notable because Elwelu held a senior military role and later served as a presidential adviser, making the arrest politically and security-sensitive in Uganda.