In brief
Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant turned YouTuber, was found beheaded near Kampala, Uganda, where he had been seeking asylum. The death highlights a growing pattern of violence targeting Rwandan critics abroad. His widow fears for her family's safety amid rising insecurity. The incident adds to the list of deaths that have beleaguered dissidents and raises questions about the reach of Rwanda’s influence.
Beheading of Rwandan dissident Robert Kabera in Uganda
A former Rwandan army sergeant, former YouTuber and singer Robert Kabera, was discovered beheaded near the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, where he had been living in exile after fleeing Rwanda on accusations of sexual assault for which he denied any guilt.
Local residents reported the body to police, and Ugandan authorities confirmed that the head had not yet been recovered. The timing and brutality of the killing have raised alarm among the Rwandan diaspora, prompting Kabera’s widow, Jeanne d'Arc Rwigema Uwizeye, to warn her family that their safety is at risk.
Kabera’s death is part of a wider pattern of violence against critics of President Paul Kagame. In 2014 former intelligence chief Patrick Karegeya was found dead in Johannesburg, and in 2019 South Africa issued arrest warrants for Rwandan suspects alleged to have murdered him.
The Rwandan government has not yet commented publicly on Kabera’s killing. International observers fear that this case could signal increased security leaks by the Zairean regime beyond its borders.
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