The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has dismissed reports suggesting that former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, has been forced into early retirement by the army leadership. Speculation has been rife since Lt Gen Elwelu’s name appeared on the list of over 1,300 top, middle, and lower-ranking officers set to retire from active service in July 2025.
Social media users and political commentators have claimed that his exit was orchestrated by the current Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, citing past tensions between the two generals. These claims gained momentum after Gen Muhoozi publicly vowed to arrest and prosecute a so-called Teso “buffoon” whom he accused of hiding behind President Yoweri Museveni—a statement many interpreted as a veiled reference to Lt Gen Elwelu.
But in a firm rebuttal, the Acting Defence Public Information Officer, Col Chris Magezi, rubbished the claims, calling them baseless and misleading. “Rubbish and idle talk! So General Elwelu cannot retire—just like the others?” Col Magezi asked, dismissing the narrative that the retirement was punitive. “What is the relationship between ‘threatening an arrest’ and a scheduled retirement?”
Speaking to URN, Lt Gen Elwelu himself welcomed the UPDF leadership’s decision, calling it an honour to have served Uganda. “I welcome the decision of the UPDF leadership to send me for an early retirement. I have surely made my humble contribution to my beloved country, Uganda. For God and my country,” said the three-star general.
Col Magezi emphasized that Lt Gen Elwelu is retiring like many others in the force and remains respected for his decades of distinguished service. He noted that Elwelu played a pivotal role in numerous military operations both within and outside Uganda. “We salute General Elwelu for his selfless service to the army, the people of Uganda, and the wider region. He served in key operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, South Sudan, and led several counter-insurgency campaigns within Uganda,” Magezi said.
Lt Gen Elwelu was appointed Deputy CDF in June 2021, serving under Gen Wilson Mbadi until March 2024, when President Museveni replaced the duo with Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Lt Gen Sam Okiding. Before that, Elwelu held several strategic positions, including Commander of UPDF Land Forces and Commander of the UPDF Second Division in Mbarara.
The UPDF maintains that Lt Gen Elwelu’s retirement is part of a routine process aimed at making way for a new generation of leaders within the military hierarchy.
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