Lt Gen Peter Elwelu
Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the senior presidential adviser and army representative in Parliament, is set to retire from the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) in July, alongside 1,346 other officers. Gen Elwelu, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Defence Forces (D/CDF), was dropped from the army leadership in March 2024 and subsequently appointed Senior Presidential Adviser.
Since then, tensions have simmered between him and the current Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba. Insiders say the friction between the two men escalated to the point where Gen Muhoozi allegedly threatened to arrest Gen Elwelu. In December 2024, Gen Muhoozi publicly referred to Gen Elwelu as a “buffoon” who was “unworthy of serving in Uganda’s military.”
While UPDF spokespersons remain tight-lipped about Gen Elwelu’s retirement, Maj Bilal Katamba, the deputy defence public information officer, confirmed that a major retirement exercise is scheduled for July.
“We shall have the retirement exercise for Batch 15 in July this year. A full list of general officers set to retire will be shared at a later time,” Maj Katamba said. Highly placed military sources revealed that Gen Elwelu’s retirement was discussed and agreed upon during recent sittings of the High Command and Army Council at State House Entebbe, held in March and April 2025. The UPDF High Command, the military’s top decision-making organ, includes the President as chairperson, the Defence Minister, the Chief of Defence Forces, and other senior military officials such as service commanders, chiefs of staff, and division commanders. Other generals confirmed for retirement include Maj Gen Francis Okello, the former commandant of the National Defence College in Jinja, and Maj Gen George Igumba, who headed the Senior Command and Staff College (SCSC) in Kimaka.
Final preps According to the UPDF, a total of 1,346 officers and militants are currently undergoing sensitisation and documentation at the Non-Commissioned Officers’ Academy (NCOA) in Jinja, in preparation for the July 2025 retirement. The group includes senior officers from the rank of Major to Colonel. Brig Gen Emmanuel Kanyesigye, the commander of Jinja Cantonment, congratulated the retirees, calling their transition a “noble and honourable milestone.” “Retirement is a blessing from God, especially when it comes with honour rather than disgrace,” he said, while commending their efforts during operations against the Lord’s Resistance Army and in stabilising the Karamoja sub-region. Brig Gen Julius Biryabarema, the director of Pensions, Gratuity and Compensation, advised retirees to remain vigilant against fraudsters targeting their terminal benefits.
