Exiled Rwandan Critic Found Beheaded in Uganda, Police Investigate

A vocal critic of the Rwandan government, who was living in exile in Uganda, has been found decapitated near Kampala. Ugandan police confirmed on Monday they are investigating the murder of a man, identified by relatives as Robert Kabera, who was approximately 50 years old. His head has not yet been recovered.

The body was discovered in Luwala, a village near Kampala, with the killing believed to have occurred late on October 16 or early on October 17, according to police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke. Kabera, a former sergeant who fled Rwanda several years ago, gained prominence through his YouTube channel, “Major Robert TV,” which had 144,000 subscribers. He notably featured a song praising opposition figure Victoire Ingabire, a prominent critic in Rwanda who has faced repeated imprisonment.

Kabera's brother, Victor Agaba, told AFP news agency that Robert had no known issues with anyone in Uganda, stating, “Our problem comes from home… The army created a criminal case against him. It was a witch-hunt.” Kabera was declared a fugitive after leaving Rwanda and faced accusations of corrupting a minor, charges he denied.

This incident occurs amidst accusations that Rwandan authorities have targeted opponents of President Paul Kagame, who has led the country since 2000, following the 1994 genocide. Kabera is not the first exiled opposition figure to be assassinated. In 2021, former Rwandan army lieutenant Revocat Karemangingo was killed in Mozambique, and outspoken opponent Seif Bamporiki was shot dead in South Africa. Additionally, former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya was found strangled in a South African hotel room in 2014. Former general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a co-founder of the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) opposition party living in exile, has survived multiple assassination attempts.