Rwandan President Kagame’s outspoken critic Robert Kabera found beheaded in Uganda

The body of 50-year-old Robert Kabera was found on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, over the weekend. A former sergeant major in Rwanda’s army, he became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame.

Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said on Monday that Kabera’s head had not been recovered. His family said he had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45km outside Kampala before his death.

Kabera left Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied. He sought asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution.

Family and opposition call for security

His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes in a written message that she feared for her family’s safety. She said she and the children did not feel secure.

The exiled opposition group Rwanda National Congress called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice. Rwanda’s government has not publicly commented on the killing.

Kabera built a following as a musician and YouTuber. His channel had more than 144,000 subscribers and over 800 videos, many of them critical of Kagame and his administration.

Earlier killings of Kagame critics

Kabera’s death adds to concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents abroad. In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief and co-founder of the opposition group, was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg.

Karegeya fell out with Kagame, was arrested twice and served an 18-month prison sentence for insubordination and desertion. He fled to South Africa in 2007 and became a critic of the Rwandan government.

In 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering Karegeya. After Karegeya’s death, Kagame made remarks threatening people he said were plotting against Rwanda.