Elwelu among 7 Generals set to retire next month

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has finalised plans to retire seven senior generals within a month, in what military officials say is part of ongoing institutional renewal.

Among those exiting the force is former deputy Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Lt Gen Peter Elwelu, the most senior officer on the list. A three-star General, Elwelu holds one of the highest ranks in the UPDF, just below the CDF. Others set to retire include three Major Generals: Hudson Mukasa, Francis Ben Okello, and George Igumba along with Brigadiers: John Byuma, Dominic Twesigomwe, and Augustine Kamyuka Kyazze.

Elwelu served as deputy CDF from June 2021 to March 2024. Before that, he was the commander of Land Forces, the third-highest military command position in Uganda, from January 2017 to June 2021.

Earlier in his career, Elwelu commanded the UPDF 2nd Division based in Mbarara. It was during his tenure in Mbarara that he led the controversial 2016 assault on the Rwenzururu Kingdom Palace in Kasese district.

The military operation resulted in the deaths of at least 153 people and the arrest of King Charles Wesley Mumbere, who was later barred from returning to the kingdom until last year. Elwelu was also among the first commanders of the UPDF contingent deployed in Somalia under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in 2007.

Maj Gen Hudson Mukasa has been serving as Uganda’s military attaché to Kenya since June 2016, having previously held the same position in Burundi. He completed his cadet training at the Tanzania Military Academy in Monduli in the 1980s and went on to attend senior staff and command courses in Ghana and Kenya.

Mukasa joined the National Resistance Army in 1983 and has held several command roles, including Commander of the UPDF 2nd Division in Mbarara from 2005 to 2008, and the 5th Division in Lira in 2008.

From 1997 to 2003, he served as operations and training officer for the 2nd Division and also commanded the 503 Brigade in Kitgum, a mobile force set up to combat the Lord’s Resistance Army led by Joseph Kony.

Maj Gen Francis Ben Okello was the second commander of AMISOM, serving from March 2008 until the end of his tour in 2009. He later headed the Uganda Senior Command and Staff College (USCSC), the UPDF’s premier training facility for senior officers across the army, air force, and Special Forces.

Maj Gen George Igumba, until a month ago, commanded the USCSC, which was established in 2003 to enhance leadership training among the senior ranks. The institution’s first commander was the late Maj Gen Benon Biraaro.

During the documentation process for the retiring officers, UPDF Chief of Joint Staff Maj Gen Jack Bakasumba praised the generals for their dedicated service, particularly in capacity building and international peace missions.

“These leaders have made remarkable contributions to national and regional peace, especially through international missions such as those in Somalia,” said Maj Gen Bakasumba.

He emphasized that retirement is a normal and necessary process that allows for continuity within the military institution.

“There is a whole new kind of life ahead, full of experience, just waiting to happen. Some call it retirement, I call it bliss,” he added, quoting American biochemist Betty Sullivan.

Maj Gen Bakasumba also said the proposed amendments to the UPDF Act, 2005, would improve the welfare of retired officers by ensuring access to healthcare, disability compensation, and full burial honours.

Lt Col Onesmus Amanya, Deputy Director for Compensation, Pensions, and Gratuity, urged the retiring generals to preserve the discipline that defined their military careers as they transition into civilian life. “Be mindful of your health and conduct,” he advised.