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Former head of Rwanda's presidential guard dies in prison, brother says

Tom Byabagamba had served a dozen years in prison following his 2014 arrest and 2016 conviction for inciting insurrection.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 15:33 UTC2 reports

The short version

Tom Byabagamba, former commander of Rwanda's elite presidential guard, died in prison at age 59.
His brother, exiled dissident David Himbara, announced the death publicly without providing a cause.
Byabagamba was arrested in 2014 and sentenced in 2016 on charges including inciting insurrection, a trial criticized by Human Rights Watch as part of a campaign against government opponents.
Rwandan authorities have not provided immediate comment or details regarding his death.

Exiled dissident David Himbara announced that his brother, Tom Byabagamba, died in prison in Rwanda at age 59.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Byabagamba served as commander of President Paul Kagame's presidential guard until his removal in 2010.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Authorities arrested Byabagamba in August 2014, and Rwanda's Military High Court sentenced him in 2016 on charges of inciting insurrection and tarnishing the government's image.[ABC News · Associated Press]
In 2019, Rwanda's Court of Appeal reduced Byabagamba's original 21-year prison sentence to 15 years.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Co-defendant Brig. Frank Rusagara, who was convicted alongside Byabagamba, died in prison the previous year.[ABC News · Associated Press]

The cause of Byabagamba's death has not been disclosed by his family or confirmed by government officials.[ABC News · Associated Press]
Rwandan officials have not issued an official public statement regarding the reported death.[ABC News · Associated Press]