Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has issued another warning to retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, giving him only hours to surrender before he is declared a rebel and security forces take further action against him.

Muhoozi made the announcement in a post on X, where he also shared pictures of firearms and ammunition he claimed had been recovered from one of Elwelu’s homes in the Teso region.

“Some of the arms ‘Private Elwelu’ was stockpiling at one of his homes in Teso. We have recovered a lot of arms and ammunition from his house. He has hours to surrender before we declare him a rebel and deal with him accordingly,” Muhoozi posted.

The army chief accused the retired general of keeping weapons and ammunition at his property, although he did not reveal the exact number of firearms recovered or provide further details about the operation.

The latest warning comes amid an ongoing security search for Elwelu, whose whereabouts have not been officially established. Muhoozi has repeatedly called on him to surrender and warned those who may be helping him evade security forces.

Elwelu previously served as Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and Commander of Land Forces before retiring from active military service. He has recently become the subject of serious allegations made by the army chief, including claims involving weapons and possible rebellion.

Muhoozi’s reference to Elwelu as “Private Elwelu” follows his earlier announcement that the former senior officer had been stripped of his military rank and reduced to the lowest military rank.

The pictures shared by Muhoozi are now likely to draw further attention to the security operation, particularly as the army chief has attached a short deadline to his latest demand.

It remains unclear whether Elwelu will surrender within the hours given or whether security authorities will formally declare him a rebel and announce further action. The retired general has not publicly responded to the latest statement.