A dramatic confrontation involving Uganda’s military establishment has intensified after Chief of Defense Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly accused retired Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the former Deputy Chief of Defense Forces, of treachery and alleged involvement in plans to rebel against the state.
Elwelu is reportedly in hiding as security forces continue searching for him. Gen Muhoozi has called upon the retired senior officer to surrender and has claimed that more than 20 former soldiers associated with him have been arrested.
The CDF has also alleged that weapons and ammunition were recovered from locations linked to Elwelu. Elwelu’s family, however has disputed the allegations with a relative saying “the retired general went into hiding because he feared for his life “.
In another extraordinary development, Gen Muhoozi publicly announced that Elwelu had been stripped of his Lieutenant General rank and reduced to the rank of Private, describing him as a “traitor.”
The purported demotion has raised legal questions, with reporting indicating that the UPDF Act provides formal procedures for reducing the rank of a commissioned officer. It therefore remains unclear whether the announcement itself legally changes Elwelu’s substantive military rank.
Reports have also indicated that Elwelu’s wife was arrested, while the retired general’s where abouts remain unknown.
As the search continues, the allegations have attracted significant public attention. Elwelu has not publicly presented a detailed response to the accusations and the evidence establishing his alleged involvement in an armed rebellion has not been publicly laid out.
The developing confrontation leaves major questions unanswered: Where is Peter Elwelu, what evidence will authorities present against him and what happens next in one of Uganda’s most extraordinary recent military disputes?