A former Rwandan army sergeant major and critic of President Paul Kagame, Robert Kabera, has been found beheaded in Uganda, with police saying his head remains missing.
Kabera, 50, was discovered dead on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda’s capital, over the weekend, the BBC reported on Monday.
Ugandan police spokesperson, Kituuma Rusoke, confirmed that investigations were ongoing, adding that authorities had yet to recover the deceased’s head.
Kabera had fled Rwanda and sought asylum in Uganda, alleging political persecution. He had also faced accusations of sexual assault, which he denied.
As of Monday, the Rwandan government had not issued a public statement on his death, while the circumstances surrounding the killing remained unclear.
Kabera’s widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, expressed fears for her family’s safety following the incident.
Speaking to BBC Great Lakes in a written message, she said she was worried about the security of herself and her children.
“It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don’t have security,” she said.
According to his family, Kabera had travelled to a construction site about 45 kilometres from Kampala to inspect ongoing work before he was killed.
Beyond his military background, he was also known as a musician and YouTuber. His channel had attracted more than 144,000 subscribers and featured over 800 videos, many of which criticised Kagame and his administration.
The exiled opposition group Rwanda National Congress condemned the killing and called for a comprehensive investigation to ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
In a statement posted on X, the group said the incident had left Kabera’s family grieving and raised serious concerns among Rwandans living in exile about their safety.
The killing has renewed concerns over the security of Rwandan dissidents residing outside the country.
In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief and co-founder of the Rwanda National Congress, was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Karegeya, who had fallen out with Kagame, was arrested twice before fleeing to South Africa in 2007, where he became a vocal critic of the Rwandan government.
Following his death, Kagame made remarks that were widely interpreted as a warning to his critics, saying those plotting against Rwanda would eventually face consequences.
In 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandan nationals accused of murdering Karegeya.
Kabera’s death has further intensified concerns among opposition figures and activists in exile about their safety while living outside Rwanda.
