Exiled Kagame critic Robert Kabera found beheaded in Uganda
Ugandan police identified the headless body found near Kampala as Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major turned critic of President Paul Kagame. His head has not been recovered.
Ugandan police have identified the headless body found near Kampala as that of Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major turned outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame, Vanguard (AFP) reports.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told reporters on Monday that the body had been identified by Kabera’s relatives, and that his head had still not been recovered. Investigators believe the killing took place late on 16 October or in the early hours of 17 October.
Kabera, 50, fled Rwanda for Uganda in 2020, saying he feared political persecution. He went on to build a large online audience: his YouTube channel “Major Robert TV” drew more than 144,000 subscribers and featured over 800 videos, many critical of Kagame and his administration. He denied allegations of sexual assault made against him by Rwanda’s military authorities.
His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes in a written message that she feared for her family’s safety: “It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don’t have security.”
The exiled opposition group Rwanda National Congress called for a thorough investigation, saying Rwandans in exile were asking “where can we be safe?” The Rwandan government had not publicly commented on the killing.
His death adds to concerns over the safety of Rwandan dissidents abroad. Patrick Karegeya, a former intelligence chief critical of Kagame, was found dead in a Johannesburg hotel room in 2014; in 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering him.
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