“First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible. Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” Muhoozi said.
Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba has expressed suspicion that elements linked to exiled Rwandan opposition figure Kayumba Nyamwasa could have been involved in the beheading of former Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) soldier Robert Kabera in Mpigi District, questioning whether the killing was retaliation for the arrest of former Ugandan military intelligence chief Abel Kandiho.
In a statement, Muhoozi said his office had not been notified about Kabera, whose headless body was discovered in Luwala Village, Kamengo Sub-county, on October 17, 2026.
“First of all, my office was never notified about the gentleman. I highly suspect that certain elements of Kayumba’s RNC were responsible. Are they retaliating for Kandiho’s arrest? We shall get to the truth,” Muhoozi said.
The remarks introduce a new line of suspicion into investigations into the killing of Kabera, 50, a former RDF Army Jazz Band instructor and soloist who fled Rwanda in November 2020, saying he feared for his life.
However, Muhoozi did not provide evidence linking Kayumba’s Rwanda National Congress (RNC) to the killing. Police have not publicly established a motive, and the general’s remarks should be treated as an allegation rather than a confirmed finding.
Kabera’s body was discovered at a eucalyptus plantation in Luwala, where he had been constructing a house. His head was missing, and police said it had not been recovered as investigations continued.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke confirmed that officers had registered a murder case and were investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. Relatives identified Kabera, although police indicated that scientific identification procedures were also relevant to the investigation.
Kabera’s killing has attracted attention because of his history of seeking protection in Uganda and his criticism of the Rwandan government led by President Paul Kagame.
In September 2021, he reportedly wrote to local authorities expressing fears for his safety and alleging that accusations circulated against him in Rwandan media were politically motivated. His appeal was subsequently forwarded to police and refugee protection agencies.
In October 2023, another report emerged after a local leader introduced Kabera to Old Kampala Police Station as a resident and reported that he had been attacked by three men along Rubaga Road.
According to the account contained in the letter, the men fled in a black vehicle without number plates after Kabera shouted for help. They reportedly threatened him, saying, “Even if you run to America, we will find you and kill you.”
Kabera also faced allegations from Rwanda’s military prosecution authorities concerning unlawful sexual contact with a teenage family member. He denied the allegations and described them as politically motivated. The allegations have not been established as facts in the information available about his killing.
In May 2022, Ugandan security forces arrested him over alleged unlawful possession of a firearm. He was detained at the Special Investigations Division in Kireka before being released on police bond.
His public criticism of the Rwandan government continued while he lived in Uganda, including through his YouTube channel, Major Robert TV.
Muhoozi’s reference to Kandiho comes weeks after the retired Major General was reportedly arrested alongside retired Brig Gen Charles Bakahumura in September 2026. Both men previously headed Uganda’s military intelligence agency, then known as the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, now Defence Intelligence and Security.
Their reported arrests were linked in media accounts to investigations into alleged false intelligence and treachery. The specific charges had not been publicly disclosed in the reports available at the time.
It remains unclear what connection, if any, Kandiho’s arrest has to Kabera’s murder. Muhoozi’s statement raises that possibility but does not establish that the killing was carried out in retaliation.
Kayumba Nyamwasa is a former senior Rwandan military officer who later became an opposition figure in exile and a leading figure in the RNC, which opposes Kagame’s government. The organisation has also called for justice following Kabera’s death, according to a statement issued on October 18, 2026.
The RNC said Kabera was not a member of the organisation and appealed to the Ugandan government to ensure a credible investigation and stronger protection for Rwandans living in exile.
The contrasting developments leave investigators with key questions about who killed Kabera, why he was targeted and whether his earlier reports of threats are connected to his death.
Police investigations remain crucial to establishing the motive and identifying those responsible. Muhoozi has said the truth will be established, but no publicly confirmed evidence has yet linked the killing to the RNC or to Kandiho’s arrest.
