Rwandan government critic found beheaded near Uganda’s capital

Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major who became a prominent critic of President Paul Kagame, was found beheaded near Kampala, Uganda. His death has renewed concerns about the safety of Rwandan dissidents living abroad, while his widow says she fears for the family’s security.

Kabera, 50, had sought asylum in Uganda, citing political persecution, after fleeing Rwanda over sexual assault accusations that he denied. His body was found by residents over the weekend, but police said his head had not been recovered; his family said he had travelled to inspect a construction site about 45 km outside Kampala. A musician and YouTuber, he had more than 144,000 subscribers and over 800 videos, many critical of Kagame’s government. Rwanda’s government has not publicly commented; another exiled critic, Patrick Karegeya, was found dead in Johannesburg in 2014.