Uganda Police confirm Rwandan dissident Robert Kabera, 50, found beheaded in Luwala, Mpigi. His head is still missing after 11 days. HRW calls for transparent probe.
MPIGI, Uganda — Uganda Police has confirmed the murder of Rwandan dissident and YouTuber Robert Kabera, whose headless body was discovered on October 17, 2026, in Luwala village, Kammengo Sub-county, Mpigi District.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told reporters on Monday, October 20, that investigators are treating the case as murder.
“We are investigating the murder of a male adult, around 50, whose head was cut off, and up to now the head has not yet been recovered,” Rusoke said. “We recovered the body without the head. The killers went with the head.”
The body was found by residents on October 17 at around 2 p.m. in a bush near a eucalyptus plantation where Kabera was building a house, about 12 kilometers from Mpigi town. Police say the killing likely occurred late on October 16 or early October 17.
Who was Robert Kabera?
Robert Kabera, 50, popularly known as Sergeant Robert or Major Robert, was a former Sergeant Major in the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and a military instructor. He fled Rwanda in November 2020, saying he faced political persecution.
After leaving Rwanda, he was granted asylum in Uganda and started the YouTube channel “Major Robert TV,” which has over 144,000 subscribers. His content included criticism of the Rwandan government and a song praising opposition figure Victoire Ingabire.
According to his brother Victor Agaba, Kabera arrived from Kampala on the evening of October 16, went to a nearby bar with his boda boda rider, returned home briefly to collect his phone, and left again. He did not return.
Agaba identified the body by a scar on the right thumb and shoes found near the scene. “In Uganda, Robert had no issues with anyone,” he told AFP. “Our problem comes from home. The army created a criminal case against him. It was a witch hunt.”
Kabera had been declared a fugitive by Rwandan authorities and was accused of corrupting a minor, an allegation he denied.
Police Investigation and Forensic Examination
Police transferred the remains to Gombe Hospital and later to the forensic laboratory in Wandegeya, Kampala, and subsequently to Mulago City Mortuary for examination.
As of October 29, eleven days after the discovery, the head has still not been recovered, and the Wandegeya laboratory is yet to release its forensic report, which was initially expected within 72 hours.
Sources in Mpigi say seven witnesses, including the landlord, neighbors, and boda boda riders who last saw Kabera, have been questioned. No arrest has been announced.
Human Rights Watch Reaction
On October 24, Human Rights Watch called for a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation, noting a pattern of attacks on Rwandan exiles in Uganda and South Africa.
HRW had documented Kabera’s security concerns in its October 2023 report, warning that he was among exiles at risk.
Context of Rwandan Exiles
Kabera is not the first Rwandan exile killed abroad.
In 2021, former RDF Lieutenant Revocant Karemangingo was shot dead in Mozambique, where he was suspected of supporting an opposition group. In the same year, opposition activist Seif Bamporiki was gunned down in South Africa. In 2014, former Rwandan intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya, who had become a critic of President Paul Kagame, was strangled in his hotel room in South Africa.
Rwandan authorities have previously denied involvement in such killings.
Unconfirmed Claims
On October 27, Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba claimed on X that the killing was carried out by the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) of exiled Gen Kayumba Nyamwasa as retaliation for the arrest of former CMI chief Maj Gen Abel Kandiho. He did not provide evidence.
Uganda Police has not named any suspects and has not linked the case to the RNC. Investigations are ongoing.
East African Report will continue to follow the investigation.
Sources: Uganda Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke, AFP, Citizen Digital, Human Rights Watch, Family.
