Former Rwandan officer Robert Kabera found murdered in Uganda

Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan military officer living in exile in Uganda, was found murdered in the Mpigi District. His mutilated body, which had been decapitated, was discovered on October 17 at a eucalyptus plantation in Luwala village where he was constructing a house.

Kabera, a former instructor and musician with the Rwanda Defence Force, had fled Rwanda in November 2020. He had been a vocal critic of President Paul Kagame’s government on social media and had previously expressed significant fears for his safety. In September 2021, he had formally appealed to Ugandan authorities for protection, citing accusations in Rwandan media that he denied.

Police investigators recovered items from the scene, including a large stick suspected to be a weapon, two beer bottles, and a pair of shoes. While authorities have not yet established a motive or identified the perpetrators, the killing has prompted calls from observers for a credible, independent investigation into the circumstances of his death.