Former Rwandan soldier and musician Robert Kabera, popularly known as Sergeant Robert, has been brutally murdered and beheaded in Luwala Village, Kammengo Sub-county, Mpigi District, in a shocking incident that has raised questions about his safety and the threats he reportedly faced before his death.
Kabera’s body was discovered on October 17, 2026, after his brother, Victor Agaba, began searching for him when he failed to see him that morning. Kabera had reportedly returned from Kampala the previous evening and visited a nearby bar in Luwala trading centre. After checking his brother’s home and asking about his whereabouts at the bar, Agaba initially suspected that Kabera had spent the night at a lodge before proceeding to his gardens.
At around 2pm, Agaba received disturbing news from the village defence secretary that an unidentified body had been found without a head. He rushed to the scene, where the body was lying in a pool of blood. He identified his brother through a scar on the right thumb and shoes found near the body. Investigators reportedly recovered a large stick suspected to have been used in the attack, alongside two beer bottles, one empty and the other partially filled. Police at Kammengo, working with detectives from Kampala, have launched investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.
Family members said Kabera arrived from Kampala at approximately 7pm on October 16, accompanied by his regular boda boda rider, identified only as Innocent. After greeting his brother, he reportedly left for a nearby bar before returning home at around 11:30pm to collect his phone and leaving again. However, the bar attendant reportedly told investigators that Kabera had last been seen at approximately 9:30pm. The boda boda rider’s movements and Kabera’s activities before his death could help investigators reconstruct his final hours. The motive for the murder remains unknown, and police have not established whether it was connected to earlier threats against him.
Kabera had reportedly expressed fears for his life years before the fatal attack. In a letter dated October 23, 2023, Sserwanga Village local leaders in Lubaga Division informed Old Kampala Police Station that three men had attacked him along Rubaga Road. According to the letter, the attackers fled in a black vehicle without number plates after Kabera shouted for help, but not before threatening to kill him wherever he went. The local leaders asked police to investigate the incident and provide assistance because Kabera feared for his safety. He had also reportedly sought protection in 2021, when local leaders appealed to refugee protection authorities on his behalf. It remains unclear what action followed those appeals.
Before seeking refuge in Uganda, Kabera had built a public profile in Rwanda through his military career and music. He joined the Rwandan army in 1993 and became part of its military band, later gaining recognition as a soloist and independent performer under the name Sergeant Robert. His performances featured in Rwanda’s Liberation Day celebrations, while his military career also included service as an instructor. However, by November 2020, Kabera had fled to Uganda, saying he feared persecution. He cited tensions involving his relationship with the family of the late Fred Rwigema, the former Rwandan Patriotic Front commander who was his uncle.
The circumstances surrounding Kabera’s departure from Rwanda were also marked by a dispute over allegations made against him. In a statement issued on November 23, 2020, the Rwanda Defence Force said its Military Prosecution Department was investigating allegations that Kabera had defiled a 15-year-old family member in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District, on November 21. Kabera denied the accusation, describing it as fabricated and politically motivated, and maintained that he had entered Uganda two days before the alleged incident. The final outcome of the investigation could not be established from the available information. In May 2022, Ugandan security personnel arrested him at his home in Masanafu, Kampala, over allegations of gun smuggling and unlawful possession of firearms. His lawyer reportedly said a search of the residence had uncovered no guns, while reports indicated that Kabera had obtained refugee status in Uganda.
Kabera’s murder has now left investigators with the task of identifying his killers, establishing the motive and determining whether his earlier security concerns have any connection to the attack. Police are expected to examine his final movements, interview people who interacted with him before his death and pursue any leads that could explain how he ended up dead in Mpigi. For his family, the search for a missing brother ended in a horrifying discovery, while the unanswered questions surrounding his reported threats and troubled past have added another layer of mystery to the killing.
