Following the Tuesday morning shakeup of senior UPDF officers including dropping of Gen Katumba Wamala as the army commander, many have taken to social media to pose many questions including why the commander in chief promoted Brig Peter Elwelu to Major General and subsequently appointing him the commander of Land forces.
Of late, Elwelu has been in the news for commanding the Rwenzori operation in which scores lost their lives and hundreds arrested including the Rwenzururu King, H.H Charles Wesley Mumbere.
But the former UPDF 2nd Division commander has had an illustrious military career since 1987 when he joined the forces undertaking many assignments from the Commander in Chief including being the first commander of the Uganda military contingent deployed in Somalia under the African Union.
Maj Gen Elwelu’s initial assignment was about the refresher training needs and operational readiness that UPDF soldiers would require before taking a leap to fate in Somalia which the American Special Forces abandoned in haste in early 1990s after the humiliating Black Hawk incident.
It is alleged that Elwelu since then gained president Museveni’s trust as a fearless commando after commanding the Somalia mission and executing all the Rwenzori operations according to the latter’s commands.
According to his new appointment, Maj Gen Elwelu is expected to use the same trust from the appointing authority based on his experience and military expertise to command the Land Forces.
According to a tweet from Lt Col Paddy Ankunda the UPDF spokesman, Changes are normal and good for institutional growth.
Ankunda is expected to make an official statement later in the day in which he will enlighten the public about the tasks that lie ahead of the new appointees.
