Retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, was arrested in Soroti City on the evening of 2 November 2026, ending a weeks-long manhunt. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) accused him of involvement in subversive activities and plans to destabilise the Teso sub-region. Security forces recovered 15 guns, military fatigues and two pickup trucks allegedly linked to him. Elwelu, born on 12 June 1966 in Aloet Village in present-day Kalaki District (Teso sub-region), joined the National Resistance Army in 1987 after completing Senior Four. He trained at the Tanzania Military Academy in Monduli and later served as an instructor. He saw combat in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the campaign that toppled Mobutu Sese Seko and was wounded while fighting the Lord’s Resistance Army in northern Uganda. In 2007, he commanded Uganda’s first contingent under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). His most controversial moment came in November 2016 when, as commander of the 2nd Division, he led the military operation on the Rwenzururu Kingdom palace in Kasese. More than 100 people, including women and children, were killed. Human rights groups condemned the operation. Elwelu defended it, describing those killed as “criminals.” Despite the controversy, he was promoted. In January 2017 he became Commander of Land Forces. In February 2019 he was elevated to Lieutenant General. On 24 June 2021, President Museveni appointed him Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, the second-highest position in the UPDF at the time. He left the deputy CDF post in March 2024 and formally retired in August 2025. After retirement he was reported to have taken up farming and church activities. In late October 2026, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly accused Elwelu of treachery, stripped him of his ranks and demoted him to private. He gave him an ultimatum to surrender. The Uganda Law Society has warned against “trial by media” and demanded that Elwelu’s constitutional rights be respected. Teso leaders have appealed for calm and transparency. Elwelu’s family has denied the allegations of rebellion. The army has not yet disclosed the exact charges or his place of detention.