Retired Uganda People’s Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu has gone into hiding amid severe safety fears following a security raid on his Soroti District home, drawing an ultimatum from former Arrow Boys commander Musa Ecweru and an emotional appeal for intervention from his wife, kickboxing champion Patricia Apolot.
Ultimatum Issued in Soroti As Retired Military Commander Retreats From Public View
Tensions in the Teso sub-region reached a boiling point after former State Minister for Works Musa Ecweru issued a strict 24-hour ultimatum demanding that retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu surrender to recognized authorities. Speaking at a press conference in Soroti City, Ecweru warned that any attempt to launch a rebellion or destabilize the region would meet decisive force from security units and former auxiliary fighters.
Elwelu went underground earlier this year once he spotted unfamiliar persons monitoring his activities around his main home in Awoja, Soroti District, as well as his ancestral property in Anyara Village, Kalaki District. Relatives disclosed the retreat as the retired general’s absence also silenced his weekly gospel broadcasts on local radio. Elwelu was reassigned to a presidential advisor role before formally retiring from active military service in August 2025.
The Former works Minister @HonEchweru has warned the retired Lieutenant Gen. Peter Elwelu to drop his alleged plans of rebellion against the govt.While addressing the media at Soroti Hotel, Ecweru advised Elwelu to hand himself to the trusted Teso leaders like Bishop Echiru. pic.twitter.com/iZGg1zLANj
If it is true that Comrade Peter Elwelu wants to cause an insurrection, it is a very stupid decision which he will live to regret.
Musa Ecweru, former State Minister for Works
Ecweru urged the retired general to report to respected local leaders, such as Bishop Kosea Odongo Echiru, to facilitate a meeting and request a presidential pardon. Security operations targeting Elwelu’s network have already resulted in the arrest of his personal drivers, wife, and members of his security detail, alongside the seizure of electronic devices. Beginning tomorrow, members of the former Arrow Boys reserve force will collaborate with police, internal security, and military personnel to track down the retired general, according to Mr Ecweru. Drawing a parallel to the late Smith Oponacak—who met his death at the hands of security operatives after an abortive armed uprising—Mr Ecweru cautioned that Lt Gen Elwelu faces a matching destiny should he decline to surrender when cornered.
Samuel Ariko, a retired teacher, questioned the legal authority under which Mr Ecweru is operating and defended Lt Gen Elwelu’s record as a loyal officer to President Museveni, questioning why treason accusations are surfacing now and suggesting the pushback against Elwelu stems from his alleged opposition to the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) agenda.
UPDATE: Tensions are mounting across the Teso sub-region after former Works minster Musa Ecweru, a senior commander of the auxiliary vigilante force known as the "Arrow Boys," issued a public ultimatum demanding that retired former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Lt Gen… pic.twitter.com/LB2xuR4nBW
Patricia Apolot Denies Rebellion Allegations After Security Raid at Awoja Residence
The security dragnet closed in on Elwelu’s residence in Awoja on a Sunday evening at about 7:30 p.m., when armed personnel in military uniforms and civilian clothes confined occupants indoors for several days. Among those detained during the operation was the retired general’s wife, prominent Ugandan kickboxer and martial artist Patricia Apolot, widely known as Uganda’s kickboxing queen.
Apolot attended St Aloysius Primary School from 1996 to 2002 before joining Teso Integrated Secondary School, completing her Ordinary Level studies in 2006 and her Advanced Level education in 2008 before relocating to Kampala to live with her mother. She married the retired officer in 2017. Speaking in an exclusive interview in Soroti City, Apolot rejected allegations that her husband harbored subversive intentions. She explained that Elwelu had left their village home for Kampala two weeks prior solely to enter a period of prayer—a routine absence in their household. She appealed directly to President Yoweri Museveni to intervene, asking him to remember the officer he entrusted with responsibilities and stating that allegations against him should not be taken at face value. She additionally called upon the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to reverse the order for her spouse’s arrest while insisting that the retired general has been falsely incriminated.
My husband is innocent and cannot, even for a minute, think of starting a rebellion. He loves Uganda, and his dream is to have a peaceful country.
Patricia Apolot, wife of retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu
Apolot also disputed claims that weapons had been recovered from the property, stating that the soldiers who normally guarded the home had been sent on leave by her husband prior to his departure.
Confrontation Exposes Legal Hurdles Under Military Law
Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba publicly described Elwelu as a traitor, claimed that security forces had recovered arms from his house, and asserted that the former deputy commander had been summary-demoted to the rank of Private. PLU Spokesman Andrew Mwenda further alleged that Elwelu plotted an assassination against Gen. Muhoozi to seize power in Uganda.
Legal experts note that Gen. Muhoozi’s public claim of a summary demotion faces severe obstacles under the UPDF Act, which mandates a formal trial, conviction, and sentencing by a competent Court Martial confirmed by the High Command before any commissioned general officer can be stripped of rank.
🇺🇬 ECWERU WARNS ELWELU AGAINST ALLEGED DESTABILISATION PLOTWorks State Minister Musa Ecweru has warned retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu against any alleged plans to destabilise the country, saying such a move would be a grave mistake he would regret#MusaEcweru #GenElwelu pic.twitter.com/gJQ8oEHNIR