Exiled critic of Rwandan president found beheaded
Former army sergeant major Robert Kabera was a popular YouTuber and singer, who had sought asylum in Uganda.
Key points
- Robert Kabera, 50, a former Rwandan sergeant major and Kagame critic, was found beheaded near Kampala, Uganda.
- Ugandan police said on Monday that Kabera's head had not been recovered.
- His widow said she fears for her family's safety after the killing.
A former Rwandan army sergeant major who became an outspoken critic of President Paul Kagame has been found beheaded in neighbouring Uganda. Robert Kabera, 50, fled Rwanda after being accused of sexual assault, which he denied, and sought asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution.
Ugandan police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke said on Monday that Kabera's head had still not been recovered. Local residents found his body on the outskirts of Kampala over the weekend. The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing.
Family and opposition reaction
Kabera's 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," she said.
According to his family, Kabera had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45 km (30 miles) outside Kampala before his death. The opposition Rwanda National Congress called for a thorough investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice, saying on X: "where can we be safe?"
It is scary. I feel crazy, the children and I don't have security
— Jeanne d'Arc Rwigema Uwizeye
Concerns over exiled critics
Kabera's death adds to concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents living in exile. Several critics of Kagame have been killed, both in Rwanda and abroad.
In 2014, Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief who helped set up the RNC, was found dead in a hotel room in Johannesburg. After his death, Kagame said: "Any person alive who may be plotting against Rwanda, whoever they are, will pay the price." In 2019, South African authorities issued arrest warrants for two Rwandans accused of murdering Karegeya.
