Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has announced the arrest of a driver linked to retired Lt Gen Peter Elwelu and the recovery of additional firearms and ammunition, escalating a military operation against the former deputy army chief, whom he accuses of treachery and criminality.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, Muhoozi said security forces had seized weapons allegedly hidden by Elwelu at different locations and impounded the last vehicle the retired general had been using.
“In our continuing operation to dismantle Private Elweru’s treachery and criminality. We have seized more guns and ammunition he had stashed away in different places,” Muhoozi said.
He added: “We have also arrested his driver and seized the last vehicle he was using.”
Muhoozi did not identify the arrested driver, disclose where the arrest took place or specify the number and types of weapons recovered in the latest operation. He also did not provide details of the evidence linking him to the alleged offences.
The army chief extended his warning beyond the retired general, threatening anyone suspected of helping him evade security forces.
“Anyone who aids this fugitive in any way will face serious consequences,” Muhoozi said.
He also thanked people in eastern Uganda for providing information to security forces.
“Otherwise, I thank all our supporters in Teso for all the information they are giving us,” he added.
The statement suggests that information from residents and supporters in Teso is helping security forces locate weapons and property allegedly connected to Elwelu. However, Muhoozi did not disclose the sources of the intelligence or provide independently verifiable evidence linking the recovered weapons to the retired general.
The latest announcement follows an ultimatum Muhoozi issued on October 27, when he claimed that weapons had been recovered from one of Elwelu’s homes in Teso and warned that the former senior officer had only hours to surrender.
“Some of the arms ‘Private Elweru’ was stockpiling at one of his homes in Teso,” Muhoozi wrote.
He continued: “We have recovered a lot of arms and ammunition from his house.”
Muhoozi then issued a warning that raised the prospect of a more serious confrontation between the military and the retired general.
“He has hours to surrender before we declare him a rebel and deal with him accordingly,” he said.
In his October 29 statement, Muhoozi did not say whether Elwelu had responded to the ultimatum or whether the military had formally declared him a rebel.
The reported arrest of the driver and seizure of the vehicle indicate that the operation has expanded beyond the search for weapons, although the military chief has not explained the driver’s alleged role or the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s seizure.
Elwelu’s whereabouts have also remained a subject of uncertainty, with reports indicating that the retired general left Uganda amid concerns about his safety. His alleged departure has added to questions about the circumstances behind the military’s accusations and the possibility of his return.
The confrontation marks a dramatic turn in the career of an officer who once occupied one of the highest positions in Uganda’s military.
Elwelu served as deputy Chief of Defence Forces from June 2021 until March 2024, when President Yoweri Museveni reorganised the army’s top leadership, replacing him with Lt Gen Sam Okiding and appointing Muhoozi as CDF.
Before his appointment as deputy army chief, Elwelu commanded the UPDF Land Forces from 2017 to 2021. He had earlier served as commander of the army’s Second Division, based in Mbarara, and participated in military operations in northern Uganda and Somalia.
He retired from active military service in 2025 after a career spanning nearly four decades.
Elwelu’s military record also includes the November 2016 assault on the Rwenzururu Kingdom palace in Kasese, which he led as commander of the Second Division. More than 100 people were reported killed during the operation, which resulted in the arrest of Rwenzururu king Charles Wesley Mumbere and drew widespread criticism from human rights groups.
The current confrontation places the retired general in a markedly different position from the one he occupied during his years at the top of the UPDF hierarchy.
Muhoozi’s October 27 statement introduced the possibility of treating Elwelu as a rebel if he failed to surrender. Two days later, the CDF announced further weapons recoveries, the arrest of the driver’s associate and the seizure of a vehicle allegedly used by the retired officer.
However, important questions remain unanswered. Muhoozi has not publicly detailed the evidence underlying the allegations of treachery and criminality, disclosed a complete inventory of the weapons reportedly recovered or explained the legal process through which Elwelu could be declared a rebel.
The circumstances surrounding the driver’s arrest and the seizure of the vehicle have also not been made public.
For now, Muhoozi’s warning extends to anyone suspected of helping the former deputy army chief, signalling that security forces intend to pursue not only Elwelu but also those they believe are assisting him.
“Anyone who aids this fugitive in any way will face serious consequences,” Muhoozi said.
Meanwhile, Elwelu’s wife has also been arrested but the retired generals reportedly fled into exile months ago, as reported Here and There.
