A former Rwanda Defence Forces sergeant major who became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda, police have confirmed.
Robert Kabera, aged 50 and also known as Sergeant Robert, was discovered by local residents over the weekend in Luwala Village, Kammengo Sub-county, Mpigi District, roughly 45 km outside Kampala. His head has not been recovered. Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said on Monday that officers had registered a murder case after the body was found, noting that we recovered the body without the head and that the killers went with the head.
Police believe the killing occurred either on the night of 16 October or in the early hours of 17 October. Relatives identified the body through a distinctive scar on the right thumb and shoes recovered nearby. Kabera had returned from Kampala the previous evening, accompanied by a regular boda boda rider named Innocent, and later visited a nearby bar in Luwala trading centre. Investigators are seeking the rider as part of the inquiry. At the scene, officers recovered a large stick, two beer bottles and the deceased’s shoes. The body was taken to Mulago City Mortuary for examination.
Kabera fled Rwanda for Uganda on 19 November 2020, saying he feared persecution linked in part to his family ties to the late Fred Rwigema, the first commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front and Kabera’s uncle. He sought asylum on grounds of political persecution and was granted protection. Rwandan military authorities later announced they were investigating allegations of sexual assault or defilement against a family member. Kabera denied the claims as fabricated and politically motivated, stating he had already crossed into Uganda before the alleged offence.
In exile he built a public profile as a musician. He had previously served as an instructor and soloist with the RDF Army Jazz Band. He was also a YouTuber. His channel, known as Major Robert TV, attracted more than 144,000 subscribers and featured over 800 videos, many of them critical of Kagame and his administration. Human Rights Watch had previously documented his security concerns in Uganda, including reported threats and an alleged assault.
His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes that she now fears for her family’s safety. It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don’t have security, she said in a written message. The exiled opposition group Rwanda National Congress has called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice, stating that Rwandans in exile are asking where can we be safe?
The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing. Kabera’s death comes against a backdrop of other critics of the Kagame administration who have been killed both inside Rwanda and abroad, including former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya, who was found dead in a Johannesburg hotel room in 2014. Ugandan police say investigations continue into the circumstances of Kabera’s death and any possible motive.
By John James
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