Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has expressed suspicion that individuals linked to Kayumba Nyamwasa’s Rwanda National Congress (RNC) were involved in the killing of former Rwandan soldier Robert Kabera, popularly known as Sergeant Robert.
In a post on X early on October 27, Muhoozi said his office had not been informed about Kabera before his death in Uganda.
“I hear there was a former RDF officer who was killed recently in the country. First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible,” he wrote.
“Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” he added.
Muhoozi’s reference to Kandiho concerned retired Major General Abel Kandiho, a former head of Uganda’s military intelligence agency, who was arrested on September 9 alongside retired Brigadier General Charles Bakahumura, another former intelligence chief.
Ugandan media reported that the arrests were linked to investigations into allegations of false intelligence and other security-related offences.
Both officers had previously headed Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), now known as Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS).
During Kandiho’s leadership, CMI faced allegations of cooperating with individuals associated with the RNC, particularly when relations between Rwanda and Uganda were strained.
Kandiho also came under international scrutiny in December 2021, when the United States imposed sanctions on him over serious human rights abuses linked to his tenure as head of military intelligence.
According to the US Treasury, CMI personnel were involved in unlawful detentions and mistreatment of individuals targeted because of their nationality, political views or criticism of the Ugandan government.
Kabera, a former Rwanda Defence Force soldier and musician, was found dead in Uganda’s Mpigi District on October 17. His body had been decapitated.
Uganda Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the killing. During a briefing on October 19, he said no suspects had been identified and that Kabera’s severed head had not yet been recovered.
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