Rwandan former soldier, musician and government critic Robert Kabera, popularly known as “Sergeant Robert,” has reportedly been killed in Uganda.
His body was discovered early Saturday, October 17, near a house he was constructing in Kamengo, Mpigi District, southwest of Kampala.
Accounts shared by people familiar with the incident said Kabera had spent the night at the construction site before he was attacked by unidentified assailants.
His body was reportedly mutilated and found without the head. Other reports said some body parts had been scattered around the site.
Ugandan police had not issued an official statement confirming the killing, identifying any suspects or establishing a possible motive by the time of publication.
The more graphic details surrounding the condition of the body also remained independently unverified.
Kabera was formerly an instructor and member of the Rwanda Defence Force military band. He became widely known through music under the stage name Sergeant Robert.
He fled Rwanda for Uganda with his wife in November 2020 and later said he was seeking protection because he feared for his life.
The Rwanda Defence Force said at the time that its Military Prosecution Department was investigating Kabera over allegations that he had sexually assaulted a teenage family member in Ndera, Gasabo District.
Kabera denied the accusations, describing them as politically motivated and arguing that he had already entered Uganda before the date on which the alleged offence was said to have occurred.
In May 2022, Ugandan security forces arrested Kabera during an operation at his residence. He was detained at the Special Investigations Division headquarters in Kireka over alleged unlawful possession of a firearm before being released on police bond several days later.
Kabera subsequently became increasingly critical of the Rwandan government while living in Uganda.
His reported killing is likely to renew questions about his security, his legal status in Uganda and whether he had previously sought protection from Ugandan authorities or international refugee agencies.
The circumstances surrounding the killing remain unclear, and there is currently no evidence publicly linking the attack to any government, organisation or individual.
Ugandan investigators are expected to establish when Kabera was killed, who last saw him alive and whether the attack was connected to his political activities, personal disputes or another motive.
