Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard, has died in prison at the age of 59, his brother announced Tuesday. Byabagamba had been incarcerated for 12 years.
His brother, David Himbara, an exiled dissident and former presidential adviser, shared the news in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. "It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of our beloved brother, Colonel Tom Byabagamba, who passed away while in prison in Rwanda," Himbara stated, without providing a cause of death.
Byabagamba, who was once a colonel before being stripped of his rank, was removed from his post as commander of the presidential guard in 2010. The reason for his removal was not immediately disclosed. Rwandan authorities detained him in August 2014, alongside another officer, Brig. Frank Rusagara.
In 2016, the Military High Court sentenced Byabagamba and Rusagara to prison terms for charges including inciting insurrection and damaging the government’s image. Rusagara died in prison the previous year. Critics often viewed Byabagamba's trial as flawed, with Human Rights Watch noting it fit a pattern of silencing government critics.
The Court of Appeal reduced Byabagamba’s initial 21-year sentence to 15 years in 2019. Rwandan authorities have not yet commented on Byabagamba's death, and the subject is considered sensitive in the country. Critics of President Kagame's administration frequently cite widespread abuses and suppression of dissent, though the government denies these allegations.