The funeral of of Sgt. Maj. Robert Kabera on October 21, 2026, in Kamengo, Uganda.
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(Nairobi) – Ugandan authorities’ obligation to conduct an effective investigation into the brutal killing of a Rwandan dissident requires examining all evidence that points to a possible politically motivated killing, Human Rights Watch said today. Ugandan authorities should ensure a prompt, impartial, credible investigation that leads to accountability.
The body of Sgt. Maj. Robert Kabera, a singer, former Rwanda Defence Force member, and outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, was found on October 17, 2026, in Luwala village near Kampala, where he was constructing a house. He had fled Rwanda in November 2020 and claimed asylum on political persecution grounds. He had reported to Human Rights Watch multiple times that he had been threatened and attacked in Uganda. In a September 2022 interview with Human Rights Watch, Kabera said: “They will kill me. They know where I am … I will die before I get resettled.”
“It was clear from our conversations that Robert Kabera knew his criticism of the Rwandan government made him a target, and that he feared for his life,” said Clémentine de Montjoye, senior Great Lakes researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Ugandan authorities should investigate all possible motives for the killing and take immediate steps to protect Rwandan dissidents and refugees in the country.”
Kabera’s body was found beheaded and with other injuries, according to a relative and a photograph and three videos analyzed by Human Rights Watch. A photograph published by local media on October 18 shows Kabera’s decapitated naked body in a wooded area with blood on the ground next to it. The police reported that Kabera was found dead in a eucalyptus plantation on October 17.
Witnesses provided three videos that showed Kabera’s body being t
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