History Is Repeating Itself! Ofwono Opondo Compares Gen Elwelu's Situation to Gen Sejusa's Saga Following The Teso Gen's Arrest

Former government spokesperson Ofwono Opondo has drawn comparisons between the situation surrounding retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu and the controversial departure of another senior UPDF officer from Uganda more than a decade ago.

Opondo made the remarks while discussing reports surrounding Elwelu, who was reportedly detained in Soroti on November 2, 2026, over allegations linked to security matters. However, Opondo offered a different interpretation of the events, suggesting that what happened may have involved an agreement rather than an ordinary arrest.

In his explanation, Opondo referred to the case of former UPDF General David Sejusa, who left Uganda in 2013 following disagreements with the government and later appeared in international media interviews while in the United Kingdom and the United States.

“It’s a playbook similar to that of another UPDF General who briefly fled to the UK and US appearing on multiple international media thirteen years ago,” Opondo said.

Sejusa's departure attracted considerable international attention at the time, particularly because of his public comments about political succession and disagreements within the country's leadership. He eventually returned to Uganda in 2016, where he faced military-related legal proceedings before the matter was later resolved.

By bringing up Sejusa's experience, Opondo appeared to suggest that the developments involving Elwelu could follow a familiar pattern involving disagreements, negotiations and an eventual settlement. However, he did not provide publicly verifiable details of any agreement between Elwelu and the authorities.

Opondo had earlier claimed that Elwelu surrendered voluntarily and was not arrested as widely reported, describing the situation as a possible truce. His account differs from reports surrounding the retired general's reported detention, and there has been no independent confirmation of the alleged arrangement.

The circumstances surrounding Elwelu's case therefore remain a subject of public discussion, with questions continuing over what led to the security operation and what may happen next. Opondo's comparison has added another dimension to the debate, particularly because of the similarities he sees with Sejusa's experience years ago.