Wayne Lumbasi
Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major and outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, has been found beheaded in Uganda, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. His head was missing when his body was discovered, and investigators have yet to establish a motive or identify those responsible.
Kabera’s body was discovered on Saturday, October 17, in Luwala village, Kamengo, in Uganda’s Mpigi District, outside Kampala. Residents alerted police after finding the body, which was later identified as Kabera’s. Investigators believe the killing may have occurred late on October 16 or during the early hours of October 17. Police have launched a murder investigation, but no suspects or arrests have been publicly announced.
Kabera fled Rwanda in November 2020, saying he feared persecution and threats to his life. After relocating to Uganda, he became a vocal critic of Kagame’s government, using his YouTube channel, Major Robert TV, to discuss Rwandan politics and challenge the country’s leadership. The channel had attracted more than 140,000 subscribers, making him a prominent voice among Rwandan political dissidents online.
Before going into exile, Kabera served in the Rwandan military and was also known as a musician associated with the Rwanda Defence Force Army Jazz Band. His departure from Rwanda followed allegations announced by the military in November 2020 concerning unlawful sexual contact with a family member. Kabera denied the allegations and maintained that he had left the country because he feared persecution.
His killing has renewed concerns about the safety of Rwandan government critics living abroad. Several prominent Rwandan dissidents have been killed outside their home country, including former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya, who was found dead in a hotel room in South Africa in January 2014. Former Rwandan army officer Revocat Karemangingo was shot dead in Mozambique in 2021, while opposition figure Seif Bamporiki was killed in South Africa the same year.
Kagame’s government has faced allegations of targeting opponents beyond Rwanda’s borders, accusations it denies. However, investigators have not established any connection between Kabera’s political activities and his killing, and no evidence has publicly confirmed who was responsible.
Ugandan police continue to investigate the murder, with key questions remaining unanswered, including the motive for the killing and the whereabouts of Kabera’s missing head. His death adds to concerns surrounding the security of political dissidents in exile, while the circumstances behind the attack remain unclear.
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