Africaupdated 1h ago2 min read
Uganda Police Confirms Beheading Murder Of Rwandan Dissident Robert Kabera In Mpigi
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Rwandan dissident and former RDF Sgt Maj Robert Kabera, about 50, found beheaded in Mpigi. Body discovered headless in Luwala Village, Kamengo sub-county, Mpigi District; investigation launched.
6 outlets told this the same way.
Beheading in Mpigi
Uganda police said Sgt. Maj. Robert Kabera, a Rwandan dissident who fled to Uganda, was beheaded and his body found in a bush in the Kamengo area of the Ugandan district of Mpigi outside Kampala.
“‘The head, up to now, is still missing,’ Tumushabe said.”
Superintendent of Police Lydia Tumushabe told The Associated Press that Kabera’s remains were discovered on Saturday and that “The head, up to now, is still missing,”.
Daily Monitor reported that police launched an investigation into the murder after officers registered a murder case following the discovery of Kabera’s headless body in Luwala Village, Kammengo Sub-county.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told journalists that officers “recovered the body minus the head” and that investigators believed the killing may have occurred during the night of October 16 or in the early hours of October 17.
Missing head, no motive
Police said detectives had not yet recovered Kabera’s missing head and had not publicly established a motive for the killing. Superintendent of Police Lydia Tumushabe told The Associated Press that detectives “don’t yet have firm clues on a possible motive,”.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told journalists that “There are those who allege that he was previously a serving soldier,” and that investigators would establish the facts “in the course of investigations.” The Spec said Kabera’s body was identified by residents as well as his brother, and it said detectives had yet to establish a clear motive for the killing.
Background and stakes
The Associated Press said Kabera served in the Rwandan army before he fled in 2020 and became an outspoken critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who has been his country’s de facto leader or president since the end of the 1994 genocide. CP24 reported that Kabera’s YouTube channel, called Major Robert TV, had more than 140,000 followers and shared more than 800 videos, and it said his commentary was seen by some Rwandans as hurtful to the image of Rwanda’s government.
“Following his death, the opposition Rwanda National Congress appealed for justice and stronger protection for Rwandan exiles in Uganda.”
Human Rights Watch documented security concerns in its October 2023 report on Rwanda’s treatment of critics abroad, and Pulse Uganda said it recorded allegations of an assault and threats in Uganda in 2022. Pulse Uganda also said the opposition Rwanda National Congress appealed for justice and stronger protection for Rwandan exiles in Uganda after Kabera’s death, while police said the account did not identify the killers or establish a motive.