Older Persons Member of Parliament Ofwono Opondo has come out in defence of former UPDF Deputy Chief of Defence Forces Peter Elwelu, arguing that the retired general could be a victim of misleading intelligence reports intended to portray him as a threat to the government. Opondo has questioned the claims surrounding Elwelu and urged authorities to establish the facts before drawing conclusions about his actions.
Speaking during a Saturday appearance on Capital Gang, Opondo accused some state operatives of exaggerating intelligence information to create a negative image of targeted individuals. He described the practice as “sexing up intelligence” and suggested that similar tactics could be behind the allegations currently facing Elwelu.
Opondo argued that the presence of firearms and soldiers at Elwelu’s home should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of involvement in activities against the government. He explained that, according to his understanding, retired generals are entitled to retain a platoon of between 15 and 40 soldiers, alongside some weapons, as part of their retirement arrangements.
However, he said any concerns about Elwelu possessing more firearms or ammunition than permitted should be handled through a proper investigation. He insisted that the army should establish what was actually recovered, determine whether any rules were broken and communicate the findings objectively to Ugandans instead of allowing speculation to dominate the debate.
The legislator also criticised Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba over his public handling of the matter. Opondo questioned why the reported decision to demote Elwelu from the rank of General to Private had been announced on social media platform X, arguing that sensitive military and disciplinary issues should be handled through established procedures rather than public exchanges.
Opondo further described the latest confrontation as a continuation of what he called longstanding friction between Muhoozi and Elwelu. He suggested that personal differences could be influencing the way the situation is being handled and argued that any wrongdoing by the former army commander should be addressed through proper institutional channels.
He also turned his criticism towards former minister Musa Ecweru, accusing him of using the controversy to regain political relevance after losing the Amuria parliamentary seat. Opondo claimed that Ecweru had been amplifying Muhoozi’s criticism of Elwelu and said the former minister had stopped answering his calls after he attempted to challenge him over his public remarks.
The Elwelu controversy has continued to attract attention, particularly among sections of the Teso community and social media users expressing support for the former military commander. Opondo’s comments have now added another dimension to the debate, with the legislator insisting that allegations against Elwelu should be backed by credible evidence and handled fairly as the army prepares to pursue the matter through its legal processes.
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