Exiled Rwandan Government Critic Found Beheaded In Uganda

A former Rwandan army officer who became a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda, with police saying his head is yet to be recovered.

Robert Kabera, 50, was found dead on Saturday, October 17, in the Kamengo area of Mpigi District, outside Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Ugandan police said residents discovered his body in a bush, while investigators have yet to establish the motive for the killing or identify those responsible.

Superintendent of Police Lydia Tumushabe told the Associated Press on Monday that Kabera’s remains had been identified by residents and his brother.

“The head, up to now, is still missing,” she said.

Kabera served in the Rwandan army before fleeing the country in 2020. He later became an outspoken critic of Kagame and operated a YouTube channel, Major Robert TV, which had more than 140,000 followers and featured hundreds of videos, many critical of the Rwandan government.

He had said he fled Rwanda because he feared persecution. The Rwandan military had previously accused him of unlawful sexual contact with a family member, an allegation he denied.

Kabera’s death has raised fresh concerns about the safety of Rwandan government critics living in exile. However, Ugandan police have not established any link between his political activities and the killing.

His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes in a written message that she feared for the safety of herself and their 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 inspect a construction site about 45 kilometres outside Kampala before his death.

The Rwandan government had not publicly commented on the killing as of Monday.

Kabera’s death also recalls the 2014 killing of Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief who helped establish the opposition Rwanda National Congress. Karegeya was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg, South Africa, after falling out with Kagame and going into exile.

Ugandan police said investigations into Kabera’s killing were ongoing.