Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Ugandan authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial and credible investigation into the killing of Sgt Maj Robert Kabera, a former Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldier whose headless body was found in Mpigi District.
In a statement issued on October 22, 2026, the international human rights organisation urged investigators to examine all available evidence to identify those responsible and establish their motives, including whether the killing was politically motivated.
HRW said Ugandan authorities have a responsibility to establish the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
Kabera, who was also a musician, fled Rwanda in November 2020 and sought asylum in Uganda.
His body was discovered on October 17 in Luwala, near Kampala, where he had been building a house. According to HRW, the body was missing its head and had other injuries. The organisation said its assessment was based partly on photographs and video footage of the body.
HRW said Kabera had repeatedly raised concerns about his safety, reporting threats and attacks while living in Uganda.
During a conversation with the organisation in September 2022, he expressed fears for his security, HRW said, adding that its previous communications with him indicated persistent concerns about his safety.
However, the reports of threats do not in themselves establish who killed Kabera or why. HRW called for investigators to examine the information independently as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.
Ugandan police had launched an investigation into the killing but had not publicly established the motive or identified suspects at the time of the report.
HRW also said its review of photographs and video footage identified evidence that investigators should examine further.
A forensic medical expert consulted by the organisation said some findings could indicate that the body had been mutilated after death, while injuries visible on the hands could suggest that Kabera had been bound.
HRW said these findings should be assessed by investigators alongside other forensic evidence to help establish what happened and identify those responsible.
