Uganda’s Army Arrests Ex-Deputy Chief Peter Elwelu in Soroti, Says It Seized 15 Guns

Uganda’s army says it has arrested retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, a former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, in Soroti City, ending a manhunt that began more than a week ago. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) spokesperson, Col. Chris Magezi, announced the arrest on X on the evening of Monday 2 November 2026 and said Elwelu “will be charged and prosecuted in the courts of law accordingly”.

The army accuses Elwelu of “subversive activities and plans to destabilize Teso”, the eastern sub-region where he comes from. His family denies he was planning a rebellion. No charge sheet has been published.

What the UPDF said

Magezi, the acting Director of Defence Public Information, wrote: “Renegade UPDF Officer Peter Elwelu has this evening been arrested by the security forces in Soroti City. He has been on the run over involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilize Teso. The security forces recently recovered 15 guns in his possession, military fatigues, and two pickup trucks.”

The statement is the first time the army has given a number for the weapons it says it seized. During the manhunt, the army chief, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, had posted only that “a lot of arms and ammunition” were recovered from one of Elwelu’s homes, with photographs of rifles and a Toyota Hilux pickup. The Daily Monitor reported that, according to military sources, Elwelu is being held at a secure facility while joint security teams finish their investigation ahead of an arraignment before the General Court Martial. The UPDF has not formally confirmed the venue.

How the manhunt unfolded

• 25 October: security personnel search Elwelu’s home at Awoja in Soroti District, according to his wife.
• 27 October: Muhoozi says on X that Elwelu has been “stripped of his ranks”, that more than 20 of his former soldiers have been arrested, and gives him “hours to surrender”.
• 29 October: Muhoozi reports more weapons seized, Elwelu’s driver arrested and his last vehicle impounded. He also orders psychiatric evaluations before any officer is promoted to general (our earlier report).
• 2 November: the UPDF announces the arrest in Soroti City.

The family’s account and the open questions

Elwelu has not made a public statement since the operation began. His wife, the kickboxer Patricia Apolot, told New Vision last week that no weapons were found at the family home in Soroti and that her husband had travelled to Kampala to pray. A relative told local media he had gone into hiding because he feared for his life, Watchdog Uganda reported. The Independent noted that it was unclear on Monday whether Elwelu has a lawyer.

Several points remain unsettled:

• Rank: Magezi’s statement calls him a “UPDF officer” rather than a general, after Muhoozi said he had been demoted to private. The Daily Monitor has reported that under the amended UPDF Act an officer cannot be reduced below substantive rank by administrative order, only by a military court sentence confirmed by the High Command. No such ruling has been published.
• Charges: the army has used the words “subversive activities” but has not named an offence or a court.
• Evidence: the figure of 15 guns comes from the army and has not been independently verified.

Who is Peter Elwelu

Elwelu is a retired former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces who also held senior Land Forces command posts, according to the Daily Monitor. He commanded the November 2016 assault on the Rwenzururu king’s palace in Kasese, in which more than 100 people were killed, and was later sanctioned by the United States over that operation.

Why it matters

The case has been run largely through the army chief’s own posts on X. It comes as the UPDF begins pulling its troops out of Somalia, starting with the forces deployed under bilateral arrangements, with a full exit planned by the end of 2027 (withdrawal details). How the army handles the prosecution of a former deputy commander, and in which court, will be a test of the UPDF’s internal discipline under Muhoozi. For the wider picture of Uganda’s forces, see Measuring Kenya and Uganda’s Military Strength in 2026.

Sources

• Col. Chris Magezi, UPDF acting Director of Defence Public Information, statement on X, 2 November 2026 (as quoted by Daily Monitor, Nile Post and Watchdog Uganda).
• Daily Monitor, “Elwelu arrested in Soroti – UPDF”, 2 November 2026.
• The Independent (Uganda), “BREAKING: Army announces Gen Peter Elwelu arrest”, 2 November 2026.
• Watchdog Uganda, “Former Deputy CDF Peter Elwelu Arrested in Soroti, UPDF Confirms”, 2 November 2026.
• Nile Post, “Gen Peter Elwelu Arrested in Soroti”, 2 November 2026.
• Defence Mena, earlier reporting on the manhunt, 29 October 2026, and sources cited there (Daily Monitor, ChimpReports, UG Standard/New Vision).