Uganda’s CDF Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba claims Kayumba Nyamwasa’s RNC killed Robert Kabera in Mpigi as retaliation for Abel Kandiho arrest. Police say no suspects yet, HRW demands probe.
KAMPALA — Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has linked the brutal murder of former Rwandan soldier Robert Kabera to the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) of exiled Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa, suggesting it could be retaliation for the arrest of former CMI chief Maj Gen Abel Kandiho.
Muhoozi made the claim early Tuesday, October 27, 2026, on X, just hours after police in Mpigi confirmed investigations into Kabera’s beheading were ongoing.
“I hear there was a former RDF officer who was killed recently in the country. First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible,” Muhoozi wrote. “Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth.”
What we know:
Robert Kabera, 50, popularly known as Sgt Robert, was found decapitated on October 17 in a eucalyptus plantation in Luwala Village, Kammengo Sub-county, Mpigi District. He was building a house there.
His brother, Victor Agaba, identified the body by a scar on the right thumb and shoes found near the scene. Police recovered a large stick and beer bottles at the scene. His head has not been recovered.
Kabera fled Rwanda in November 2020, citing political persecution. He was granted asylum in Uganda and had reported threats, harassment, and an assault in 2022, according to a 2023 Human Rights Watch report that warned he was on a “death list.”
Contrary to Muhoozi’s claim, Uganda Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has not named any suspects and has not linked the killing to RNC. Police say investigations are ongoing with no arrests.
Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for a prompt, impartial investigation, saying failure to investigate such killings violates international law. HRW noted that Kabera’s body showed signs his hands were bound behind his back.
IGIHE and Eagle Online report that under Maj Gen Abel Kandiho, Uganda’s CMI was previously accused of working closely with RNC. Kandiho reportedly met Kayumba in South Africa in December 2021. Kandiho was later arrested, but details remain unclear.
Muhoozi did not provide evidence for his RNC claim.
Robert Kabera was a former Sergeant Major in the Rwanda Defence Force and instructor in the Army Jazz Band. He had over 144,000 YouTube subscribers where he criticized President Paul Kagame. His widow, Jeanne d’Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, told BBC Great Lakes she fears for her security.
EastAfricanReport will continue to follow police investigation.
Source: X @mkainerugaba, Uganda Police, Human Rights Watch, IGIHE
