Come Out From Hiding Or Face It Rough! Ecweru Sends Warning To Elwelu, Recruits Former Arrow Boys To Help Security Forces Track Him Down

Former State Minister for Works and Transport Musa Francis Ecweru has issued a stern warning to retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, urging him to surrender through trusted community leaders or risk a deadly confrontation with security forces and former fighters in Teso. Ecweru announced that members of the former Arrow Boys force would join the search for the retired military commander.

Speaking in Soroti on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Ecweru, who chairs the Arrow Boys, said former fighters would work alongside police, internal security officers and other law enforcement personnel to establish Elwelu’s whereabouts. He insisted that Teso would not be allowed to return to the insecurity that affected the region during previous insurgencies.

“No one will disrupt the peace of Teso. Former Arrow Boys will join the police, internal security and other law enforcement officers to look for Peter Elwelu,” Ecweru declared.

However, the former minister also offered Elwelu an opportunity to surrender peacefully through respected leaders in the region. He named Bishop Joseph Eciru, Iteso cultural leader Emorimor and Vice President Jessica Alupo as possible intermediaries, saying they could help arrange a safe handover. Ecweru promised that nobody would harm Elwelu if he approached the bishop and suggested that the retired general could be taken to President Yoweri Museveni to explain himself and seek forgiveness.

Despite the offer, Ecweru delivered a serious warning about what could happen if Elwelu was found hiding and resisting arrest. “If we get him in a thicket or hiding in some house, I am afraid he will die,” he said. He also alleged that Elwelu could be planning an insurrection in Teso, although he did not present evidence at the news conference to establish that the retired officer was organising an armed uprising.

Ecweru linked his position to Teso’s history of armed conflict, recalling the insurgency associated with the Uganda People's Army in the late 1980s and the Lord's Resistance Army incursion into the region in 2003. He said the Arrow Boys were formed to support government forces during the LRA operations and help drive the rebels out of Teso. According to Ecweru, thousands of former fighters were later demobilised, while others joined the army and police.

The former minister also raised concerns about young people whose whereabouts he said were unknown, alleging that some could have been lured away with promises of employment in other parts of the country. He announced plans to release details of the affected youths and called on parents, local leaders and security officers to establish where they were. However, he did not provide a verified list or establish a connection between the missing youths and the allegations against Elwelu.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces, later praised Ecweru's statement, saying he supported his position against anyone allegedly causing trouble in Teso. Muhoozi referred to Elwelu as “Private Elweru” in his message. The latest developments come amid reports of weapons recoveries and arrests involving people allegedly connected to the retired general, although the claims surrounding a suspected plot against Muhoozi and President Museveni have not been independently established.

Elwelu previously served as Deputy Chief of Defence Forces from June 2021 to March 2024 and retired from the Uganda People's Defence Forces in August 2025. His current whereabouts remain unclear, while Ecweru's announcement has introduced former Arrow Boys into an already sensitive security situation. Questions remain about the legal authority and operational arrangements under which the former fighters would participate in the search, as well as how any arrest would be handled.