Human Rights Watch demands probe into brutal murder of Rwandan dissident in Uganda

Global rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday called on Ugandan authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial, and credible investigation into the gruesome killing of a prominent Rwandan dissident, urging investigators to examine all evidence pointing to a potential politically motivated murder.

The call follows the discovery of the mutilated body of Sgt. Maj. Robert Kabera, a former Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) member turned outspoken critic and musician, on October 17, 2026. His body was found decapitated in a eucalyptus plantation in Luwala village, Mpigi District, close to a site where he was building a house.

Kabera fled Rwanda in November 2020 and sought political asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution. Prior to his death, he repeatedly alerted rights organizations and security agencies about ongoing threats to his life.

“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.”

According to a relative, photographs, and video evidence reviewed by HRW, Kabera’s naked, decapitated body showed severe injuries and signs of struggle. A forensic medical expert consulted by the rights group indicated that the body was likely mutilated post-mortem, noting that shoulder contortions and ligature marks on the wrists suggested his hands were bound behind his back when he was killed.
While the Ugandan Police Force has formally requested a postmortem medical examination, official results remain pending.

Circumstances surrounding Kabera’s final hours have raised strong suspicion. A relative recounted that on the afternoon of October 16, Kabera traveled to his construction site accompanied by an unidentified Kinyarwanda-speaking man who claimed to be a political opponent needing assistance.

“[Kabera] called me around 11 p.m., and after that no longer picked up the phone,” the relative disclosed. “The man he was with gave me a fake number to call him. The next day, when I couldn’t reach [Kabera], his number didn’t go through.”
Just days before his death, Kabera published a video on YouTube titled “Kill Us if You Want,” in which he detailed alleged crimes by Rwanda’s ruling party and spoke about the intense persecution he faced in exile.

Kabera’s asylum in Uganda was officially acknowledged. In a May 2023 letter to HRW, the Inspector General of Police confirmed Kabera was granted asylum due to political persecution, was receiving enhanced security, and was in the final stages of resettlement to a third country through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Despite official recognition of his vulnerability, Kabera reportedly endured multiple violent encounters in Uganda. On May 16, 2022, joint Ugandan police and military forces raided his temporary home in Kampala and detained him on weapon smuggling charges.
“They were going to take me away to give me to Rwanda like a gift,” Kabera told HRW in a 2022 interview, adding that police officers fractured his ankle during interrogation. Kabera also reported seeing Rwandan diplomats from the High Commission in Kampala at the police station during his detention. His charges were later dropped, the warrant canceled, and he was released on bail.

Subsequent violent incidents reportedly followed. In July 2022, young men reportedly assaulted him in Kampala and seized his phone, warning him in Kinyarwanda: “We know where you are. We will take you back home, you will see.” In October 2023, another group attacked him, declaring: “You are lying, even if you go to America we will find you and kill you.”

Rwanda had consistently sought Kabera’s extradition. On November 23, 2020—shortly after Kabera fled—the RDF Military Prosecution Department announced an investigation into alleged "defilement" charges against him, claiming the crime occurred two days after his departure. Rwandan authorities subsequently listed Kabera among high-profile figures whose deportation they sought from Kampala.

The mounting risks were formally recognized as early as September 2021, when a Kampala city official noted in an official protection response that local security could not fully guarantee Kabera's safety because he was being accused of training terrorists in public state-aligned media, urging UN agencies to step in.
Both Uganda and Rwanda are signatories to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which obligate state authorities to strictly safeguard the right to life and carry out transparent, thorough investigations into suspicious deaths.

Human Rights Watch emphasized that failure to properly investigate such killings constitutes a direct violation of international law, noting that a 2023 report documented a widespread pattern of extraterritorial violence, forced disappearances, and targeted killings of Rwandan dissidents abroad.

“Robert Kabera’s brutal killing is a reminder of the gravity of the risks faced by Rwandan refugees,” de Montjoye emphasized. “Governments and regional and international institutions should hold Rwanda accountable for its human rights violations at home and abroad.”