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Exiled Rwandan critic Robert Kabera found beheaded near Kampala, police say

Ugandan police are investigating a murder; the head is still missing and the Rwandan government has not commented.

Updated Oct 20, 2026 · 02:07 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • Ugandan police say the body of Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major and Kagame critic, was found near Kampala.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • Police are investigating a murder; the head has not been recovered, and the killing likely occurred late on October 16 or early on October 17.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • Kabera had left Rwanda and was living in Uganda after being declared a fugitive over a charge of corrupting a minor, which he denied; his brother called the case a witch-hunt.[Al Jazeera]
  • The Rwandan government has not publicly commented, and the killing comes amid earlier deaths of Rwandan critics abroad, including Patrick Karegeya in 2014.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]

Key facts

  • Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major and critic of President Paul Kagame, was found beheaded near Kampala, Uganda, according to Ugandan police.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • Police say the head has not been recovered, and relatives identified the body as Kabera.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • Police say the body was found in Luwala village and the killing likely occurred late on October 16 or early on October 17.[Al Jazeera]
  • Kabera had left Rwanda, was living in Uganda, and was declared a fugitive by Rwandan authorities over an accusation of corrupting a minor, which he denied.[Al Jazeera]
  • Kabera ran a YouTube channel with about 144,000 subscribers, with many videos criticising Kagame.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • The Rwandan government has not publicly commented on the killing.[BBC News]
  • Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief and critic, was killed in South Africa in 2014, and Kabera is not the first exiled opposition figure to be assassinated.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The cause of death, any suspects, and any motive have not been confirmed; the killing is under police investigation.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]
  • Kabera's brother told AFP that the case against him was a witch-hunt by the Rwandan army; this is his allegation and is not verified.[Al Jazeera]
  • Whether the killing is connected to the Rwandan government or any other party is unknown; the reports describe a pattern of killings of exiles but do not establish a link to this case.[Al Jazeera · BBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.