Robert Kabera, known as Sergeant Robert, is said to have been killed in Uganda by beheading.

Robert Kabera, who was known as 'Sergeant Robert' in music while still a soldier in the Rwandan army, has reportedly been killed by unknown assailants. Reports of his death began circulating on the morning of Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Kabera was reportedly killed while he was working on a house construction project in Kamengo, a suburb of Kampala, Uganda. He was reportedly shot and killed on the intervening night of Friday to Saturday. His body was found without a head, which was allegedly taken away by his killers.
The Ugandan Police have not yet released a preliminary report on his death, but the story continues to be widely shared on social media, especially among Rwandans living abroad and independent journalists.
Robert Kabera is a former Sergeant Major in the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF). He was a prominent musician in the RDF Army Jazz Band, and was known for songs such as 'Impanda', 'Ibirangaje', 'Agahugu Gato' and others praising the country and the army.
In September 2020, his name began to be mentioned in unusual ways. On November 23, 2020, the RDF announced that the Military Prosecution Department (MPD) had launched an investigation into allegations of the rape of his 15-year-old daughter, which is believed to have taken place in Ndera, Gasabo District, on November 21, 2020.
Kabera denied the charges. In an interview with Uganda's Daily Monitor, he said he fled Rwanda on November 18, 2020, through the Kagitumba border, before the date the government claims the crime took place. He said he fled with his wife, leaving behind three children, including a 7-month-old.
The reason for his escape, he said, was not a public crime, but that he was being hunted for political reasons. He said he is closely related to the family of Gen. Fred Gisa Rwigema, the founder of the RPF-Inkotanyi, and that the Rwandan government considers the family as enemies.
He said, "I am in Uganda hiding from those who want to kill me. Anyone in Rwanda who is seen as related to the Rwigyema family, Kagame considers him an enemy of the state." He also said that he loved singer Kizito Mihigo who died in prison in 2020, and that as an artist he used his songs to fight injustice.
Upon arriving in Uganda, he sought asylum and settled in the Masanafu and Nansana areas near Kampala. In 2022, he was arrested by Ugandan security forces who reportedly searched his house for a gun. No gun was found at the time, but it is said that he had connections to some Rwandan dissidents living in Uganda.
After two days in detention at SIU Kireka, he was released on police bail, his aides being RNC members including Sulah Nuwamanya and Prossy Boonabana. His lawyers, including Eron Kiiza, argued that he had full asylum in Uganda and should not be extradited to Rwanda.
On the Rwandan side, the government argued that Kabera was a criminal who should be extradited to Rwanda and brought to justice, while Uganda argued that it must comply with international refugee law.
Over the past 4 years, Sergeant Robert has remained a prominent Rwandan on social media, creating new songs criticizing the Rwandan government, speaking out about human rights, unity, and the history of Rwigema. This has led him to be considered one of the most prominent government critics living in Uganda.
A week before his alleged assassination, a prominent RPF artiste called on Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of the Ugandan Armed Forces, to stop critics of President Kagame from using Uganda as a safe haven. Kabera was among those critics.
His death was gruesome: the body was dismembered, his head severed. Diaspora opposition analysts such as the RNC say it was an act intended to intimidate other refugees. Others say it was a routine crime in the Kamengo area that deserves an independent investigation.
As of press time, the Ugandan police have not released any information on the circumstances of his death or the suspects. Human rights groups in Uganda have called for an independent, thorough, and legal investigation, including letters Kabera himself wrote to local authorities in 2021 requesting protection because he felt his life was in danger.

Robert Kabera, known as Sergeant Robert, is said to have been killed in Uganda by beheading.