In brief
Robert Kabera, a 50‑year‑old former Rwandan army sergeant who fled to Uganda after allegations of sexual assault, was discovered beheaded in a rural area near Kampala. Local residents first noticed the body over the weekend, and Ugandan police say the head remains missing. Kabera was known for outspoken videos in which he criticized President Paul Kagame and amassed more than 144,000 subscribers. His death adds to a disturbing pattern of violent attacks on Rwandan dissidents abroad. The Rwandan government has not issued a statement, and his family now fears for their safety.
On the outskirts of Kampala, an unnamed group of local residents stumbled upon the body of Robert Kabera, a 50‑year‑old former Rwandan army sergeant major, who had been living in exile after being accused of sexual assault in Rwanda. The gruesome discovery, made over the weekend, showed the victim’s head missing, and Ugandan police confirm the head has not yet been recovered.
Kabera was a well‑known YouTuber and singer, amassing more than 144,000 subscribers for his channel that frequently criticised President Paul Kagame’s administration. After leaving Rwanda, he claimed he fled to Uganda for political persecution. His death raises urgent questions about the safety of Rwandan dissidents across Africa.
“It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don’t have security,” his widow, Jeanne d'Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, wrote to a BBC correspondent. The family says Kabera had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45 kilometres from Kampala before he was killed.
This case echoes earlier attacks on Rwandan exiles. In 2014, former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya was found dead in Johannesburg, and in 2019 South Africa issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering him. To date, the Rwandan government has not publicly comments on Kabera’s killing, and his immediate relatives fear for their lives.
Eyewitness reports say the scene was unthinkable, with residents describing the body lying on the roadside and a crowd gathering in disbelief. No suspects have been identified, and security officials in Uganda have urged calm as investigators search for the missing head.
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