In brief
A 50‑year‑old former Rwandan army sergeant—Robert Kabera—who fled for alleged sexual assault charges and criticised President Paul Kagame, was discovered beheaded on the outskirts of Kampala. Ugandan police say his head remains missing, while Rwanda has been silent. The incident adds to a pattern of targeted violence against dissidents in exile, echoing earlier cases such as the murder of former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya in South Africa. Kabera’s widow fears for the safety of their children, and security concerns loom for the Rwandan diaspora.
Robert Kabera, a 50‑year‑old former Rwandan army sergeant‑major, had fled to Uganda after facing sexual‑assault accusations he denied. He claimed the charges were politically motivated and sought asylum.
Kabera, known for a popular YouTube channel with over 144,000 subscribers, regularly criticised the Kagame administration. On the weekend of being found, he was reportedly traveling 45 km outside Kampala to inspect a construction site.
Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that Kabera’s body was discovered, yet the head was still missing. “The head has not yet been recovered,” he said on Monday.
The Rwandan government has not issued any official comment. The murder echoes earlier targeted killings of ex‑Rwandan dissidents, such as former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya’s death in Johannesburg in 2014.
Kabera’s wife, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, expressed deep concern for their children’s safety, saying, “It is scary. I feel crazy; the children and I don't have security.”
With the grief amplified by a pattern of extraterritorial repression, the international community watches as the safety of those who leave Rwanda seems increasingly precarious.
