Patricia Apolot, wife of retired Lieutenant General Peter Elwelu, has offered an explanation for her husband’s prolonged absence from their village home, saying he travelled to Kampala about two weeks ago to spend time in prayer and has not returned since.
Apolot, a Ugandan kickboxer, explained that her husband’s extended prayer sessions were not unusual, noting that he sometimes spends one or even two weeks away from home dedicating time to religious activities. She suggested that his current absence could be part of his usual spiritual routine.
Her explanation comes amid growing public interest in Elwelu’s whereabouts, following reports that the former senior UPDF officer had withdrawn from some of his usual public and community activities. His absence has prompted questions from people familiar with him and his family.
Some individuals close to the family have claimed that Elwelu became increasingly cautious after allegedly receiving information that security operatives wanted to kill him on orders from senior authorities. However, these allegations have not been independently verified, and no evidence has been publicly presented to establish them.
There are also conflicting accounts about when Elwelu left his village home in Anyara Sub-county, Kalaki District. Some accounts suggest that he had been away since before the January elections, raising questions about whether his absence began much earlier than the recent attention surrounding his whereabouts.
Further details have emerged about his religious activities, with people familiar with his church reportedly saying that he previously informed congregants that he was closing Elohim Church. It remains unclear why he made the announcement or whether the closure was permanent.
Apolot’s latest remarks provide a different explanation from claims that security concerns may have influenced Elwelu’s withdrawal from public life. Her account points to prayer as the reason for his latest trip to Kampala, although it does not fully explain the different reports about his movements in recent months.
For now, Elwelu’s exact whereabouts and plans to return home remain unclear. His wife’s explanation has added an important perspective to the discussion, but questions surrounding the retired general’s prolonged absence and the allegations about his security have yet to be resolved.
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