Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) spokesperson Andrew Mwenda has accused retired Lieutenant General (rtd) Peter Elwelu of hiding behind Christianity while allegedly planning an armed rebellion against President Yoweri Museveni’s government.

Mwenda made the allegations in a post on X on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, as security forces intensified efforts to find the former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces. He claimed that Elwelu’s public Christian identity was being used to conceal a dangerous political agenda.

“Private Elwelu had been hiding behind Christian fundamentalism to disguise his plans for a rebellion against the state. Now he is on the run, and Christ won’t protect him from his plots to violently destabilize Uganda,” Mwenda posted.

The accusations came shortly after CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba announced that Elwelu had been stripped of his military ranks and demoted from Lieutenant General to Private. Muhoozi also described the retired officer as a traitor and ordered him to surrender to security forces.

The army chief further claimed that more than 20 former soldiers who had served under Elwelu had been arrested and were cooperating with investigators.

He urged the retired general to surrender, warning that his safety could be at risk if he continued evading security authorities.

Mwenda’s comments have added a new dimension to the growing confrontation, bringing Elwelu’s religious beliefs into the allegations against him.

However, the PLU spokesperson did not explain how the retired officer allegedly used Christianity to organise a rebellion or identify the people supposedly involved in the plan.

Elwelu previously served as Commander of the UPDF Land Forces before becoming Deputy CDF. In March 2024, President Museveni removed him from the deputy army chief position and appointed Lt Gen Sam Okiding as his replacement.

Elwelu was later appointed Senior Presidential Adviser on Teso and Karamoja affairs.

His military career also attracted international attention following the November 2016 military operation at the Rwenzururu Kingdom palace in Kasese, which left more than 100 people dead.

In 2024, the United States imposed visa restrictions on him over alleged gross human rights violations connected to the operation.

Elwelu has not publicly responded to Mwenda’s latest accusations, while his whereabouts remain unconfirmed.

The allegations of rebellion have not been independently established, leaving questions about the evidence behind the claims and the next steps in the ongoing security operation.