The decapitated body of Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan non-commissioned officer turned critic of President Paul Kagame, was discovered on Saturday, October 17, 2026, in the Mpigi district, west of Kampala, the Ugandan police announced on Monday. An investigation has been opened without establishing a motive.
The remains were found in the village of Luwala, in the Kammengo sub-county. According to police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke, the murder is believed to have occurred during the night of October 16 to 17. The victim’s head had not yet been found as of Monday.
Superintendent Lydia Tumushabe told the Associated Press that the body had been identified by local residents and by a brother of Robert Kabera. Investigators did not yet have concrete information on the circumstances of the murder, while the remains were transferred to the Mulago City morgue.
Approximately 50 years old, Robert Kabera had served in the Rwandan army and played in its orchestra before fleeing to Uganda in 2020. He then became a regular critic of the Rwandan government and hosted the YouTube channel Major Robert TV, followed by more than 140,000 subscribers.
When he left Rwanda, he said he wanted to escape persecution. The Rwandan army had then announced an investigation targeting him and considered him a fugitive. Robert Kabera disputed the accusations made against him.
The Rwandan authorities had not responded publicly to his death on Monday. The Ugandan police have not identified any suspects and have established no link between the murder and Robert Kabera’s political stances.
