In an extraordinary early morning social media posting, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, (CDF) Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said he had stripped former Deputy CDF Lt Gen Peter Elwelu of his military rank and demoted him to the rank of Private.
The assertion, made via Gen Kainerugaba’s official X handle on Tuesday morning, lacks formal backing from official military channels and directly contradicts established procedures set out under the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Act.
“The traitor Peter Elwelu is hereby stripped of his ranks. He is demoted to Private,” Gen Kainerugaba posted on X. He added that military authorities have arrested more than 20 soldiers previously linked to the senior commander.
“We have arrested over 20 of Elwelu’s former soldiers. They are co-operating well. They all agree he went insane a long time ago. Elwelu should surrender soon in order to save his own life,” Gen Kainerugaba wrote, without providing specific details regarding the identity of the detained soldiers or formal charges faced by the group.
Calling for the former deputy army chief to surrender, Gen Kainerugaba asserted Uganda’s sovereignty in security matters. “Let all the world know that we intend to remain the masters of our own house,” he tweeted.
‘We have also arrested Elweru’s wife who has been beating him for the last 8 years. That’s why he always looked confused in Parliament. Domestic abuse.’
By press time, Lt Gen Elwelu had not publicly responded to the statements or the allegations raised against him. Elwelu previously drew international scrutiny after being sanctioned by the United States over his role in the 2016 military raid in Kasese, which left more than 100 people dead.
Under the UPDF Act (Cap. 330), as amended by the UPDF (Amendment) Act 2025, any demotion of a senior commissioned officer is subject to strict judicial protections designed to prevent arbitrary administrative action. The law dictates that no commissioned officer can be demoted below their substantive rank except through a formal sentence handed down by a competent military court, subject to confirmation by the High Command. Furthermore, statutory protections establish that a commissioned officer cannot be demoted out of the officer corps into non-commissioned ranks or stripped down to Private, nor can a senior rank be altered through a simple administrative directive by a superior officer or the CDF.
Gen Kainerugaba’s Tuesday social media posts extended beyond army discipline to address regional security matters and economic conditions.
Commenting on the recent killing of a former Rwandan Defence Forces officer, Sgt Maj Robert Kabera, inside Uganda, the CDF suggested foreign interference.
“I hear there was a former RDF officer who was killed recently in the country. First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible. Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” Gen Kainerugaba tweeted.
Turning to economic concerns, Gen Kainerugaba addressed the weakening Ugandan shilling, linking currency depreciation to delays in the commercial production of Uganda’s crude oil resources.
“On our currency, I’m not worried at all. The problem is delaying to produce and refine our own petroleum. Mzee is always let down by very well-paid technocrats. They must be working for our enemies. Our PLU government will not let him down from 2031 onwards,” he posted.