Teso leaders push for Museveni-Elwelu meeting

What the report says

Leaders in Uganda’s Teso sub-region are seeking to calm rising tensions after the arrest of retired Lt. Gen. Peter Elwelu, according to The Independent Uganda. The report says Elwelu, a former Deputy Chief of Defence Forces and past senior presidential adviser, was detained on Monday evening and later moved to Kampala ahead of a planned meeting with President Yoweri Museveni. The exact timing and venue of the meeting had not been confirmed in the article.

The publication said Elwelu’s arrest prompted concern among political and community figures in Teso, where some residents reacted angrily on social media. David Calvin Echodu, the NRM chairperson for Eastern Uganda, urged people to remain calm and said his discussions with Museveni had resulted in agreement for a meeting with Elwelu. He also warned leaders against remarks that could deepen divisions.

Another voice cited by the paper, Benson Ekwee Ocen of PAC Uganda, argued that Teso should rely on dialogue rather than public confrontation, pointing to the region’s experience during the 1997 security crisis. He said a similar approach could help prevent escalation now. The report also noted that sources expected Elwelu to meet both Museveni and Gen Salim Saleh, his former commander, as part of efforts to understand the situation.

The development matters because Elwelu is a prominent military figure from the region, and his detention has intersected with wider political sensitivities in Teso and around the security establishment. The article also links the episode to longstanding debates over leadership, regional representation and handling disputes through state dialogue rather than public escalation.