A retired senior police officer Chief Superintendent Hubert Gashagaza was on Tuesday morning found dead in a car and authorities suspect he could have been strangled.

According to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances under which the retired officer died.

Speaking to The New Times, Modeste Mbabazi, the Spokesperson for RIB said Gashagaza, who was one time the police spokesperson for Rwanda National Police in the Southern Region, was found dead in a car on a road in Ndera Sector in Gasabo District.

Mbabazi said RIB was informed by residents about the incident early on Tuesday morning who claimed they had seen a body of an unidentified man and investigators rushed to the scene only to realise it was Gashagaza.

"Preliminary investigations indicate he was killed after suspected murderers broke into the car through one of the windows and we suspect he could have been strangled using computer cables that were found in the car,” Mbabazi said.

According to Mbabazi, the suspects used the window on the driver’s side, where Gashagaza sat.

He said the body had been rushed to Kacyiru Hospital for postmortem to ascertain the real cause of his death and also try to get clues important for investigators to pursue the suspected killers.

"RIB and other institutions have launched a joint investigation to ascertain what could be the motive behind his death and the people behind it,” he said adding that no one has so far been arrested in connection with the incident.

Among other duties, Gashagaza has served on the contingent of Rwanda National Police peacekeepers in Central Africa Republic.

Gashagaza retired from police in August 2016.