At least a dozen generals and senior officers have been arrested in Uganda over the past fifteen months during a military crackdown overseen by army chief Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni.
The detentions unfold as political tensions intensify over who will eventually succeed Museveni, who has ruled Uganda for four decades.
Army Arrests Lt Gen Peter Elwelu and 20 Soldiers
Among the detained officers is Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the former deputy army chief, who was taken into custody over allegations linked to his detention. Kainerugaba had previously announced via social media that Elwelu was stripped of his three-star rank and demoted to Private, though Ugandan media subsequently questioned whether military regulations permit demoting a senior officer through a social media post.
“He is demoted to Private,” Kainerugaba wrote on X, while also claiming that more than 20 soldiers linked to Elwelu had been arrested.
The army later confirmed Elwelu’s detention, stating that authorities recovered 15 guns, military uniforms, and two pickup trucks linked to him. Elwelu’s family has rejected the allegations against him.
Maj Gen Abel Kandiho, another former intelligence chief, was detained over allegations of providing false intelligence and treachery, Yahoo reported. Gen Charles Bakahumura was also arrested in September over similar allegations.
Arrests Link to Political Maneuvering Regarding Presidential Succession
Dr Gerald Bareebe, a Ugandan-born political scientist at Canada’s York University, connects the arrests to political maneuvering surrounding the presidential succession, often termed the “Muhoozi Project”. Bareebe notes that senior officers believed not to support the project have faced arrest, detention, or charges of corruption and treason.
“Senior officers believed not to support the project have been arrested, detained or charged with corruption and treason,” said Dr Gerald Bareebe, a Ugandan-born political scientist at Canada’s York University.
Egesa says Gen Kainerugaba’s controversial posts reflect his preferred style of communicating, but adds that security analysts are assessing their implications for Uganda’s political and military stability. Egesa further maintains that Kainerugaba holds the overall responsibility to permit investigation teams to arrest high-profile individuals in consultation with the commander-in-chief, emphasizing that these arrests are not conducted summarily and demonstrate the seriousness of an anti-corruption drive.
In contrast, Bareebe views the actions as part of a broader effort by the army chief to extend his influence into civilian politics, noting that public confrontations with senior political figures illustrate the ongoing succession debate. Bareebe also points out that opposition to the proposed succession has grown within the ruling National Resistance Movement, with veteran figures and younger members expressing concern over attempts to secure power through coercion.
The political friction spilled into public view when Kainerugaba targeted Vice-Jessica Alupo, demanding to take her job and threatening her dismissal in social media posts that he later deleted. Following the posts, Kainerugaba’s X account, which had nearly 1.4 million followers, became inaccessible, though it remained unclear whether he deactivated the account himself or the platform suspended it. Government spokesperson Allan Kasujja dismissed claims of a succession fallout as “hogwash”.