Tom Byabagamba dies in Rwanda prison, relatives say

Former Rwandan colonel Tom Byabagamba, a former head of President Paul Kagame's presidential guard, has died in prison, his relatives said Tuesday.

His brother David Himbara wrote on X that Byabagamba had died while imprisoned in Rwanda. Another relative and a source close to the family also confirmed the death to AFP. A relative said the family was notified by the military on Tuesday morning and did not yet know the cause of death.

Byabagamba, born in 1967, was arrested in 2014 and sentenced in 2016 to 21 years in prison for incitement to insurrection and activities aimed at tarnishing the image of Rwanda or its government. His sentence was later reduced to 15 years on appeal.

He was convicted alongside his brother-in-law Frank Rusagara, a retired brigadier-general and former secretary-general of the defence ministry, who died in prison in March 2025.

Human Rights Watch said the trial of Rusagara and Byabagamba was flawed and marked by serious allegations of torture and witness tampering.