Former Rwanda Defence Force officer Colonel Tom Byabagamba, who once commanded Rwanda’s elite Republican Guard, has died in prison after nearly 12 years in detention, according to his family.
The Republican Guard is tasked with the security of President Paul Kagame and his immediate family.
The news of Byabagamba’s passing was confirmed Tuesday by his elder brother, David Himbara, a former economic adviser to Kagame who later became a prominent critic of the Rwandan government.
“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 said.
“Tom dedicated many years of his life to the service of his country as a senior officer in the Rwanda Defence Force. He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him.”
The family did not disclose the cause or circumstances of Byabagamba’s death.
Rwandan prison and defence authorities had not publicly confirmed the death or explained what happened by the time of publication.
Byabagamba had been in detention since his arrest on August 18, 2014, after returning to Rwanda from a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.
A veteran of the Rwanda Patriotic Front’s liberation struggle, Byabagamba joined Kagame’s personal protection detail in 1990 and rose through the ranks of the post-genocide military.
He later became commander of the Republican Guard, the elite unit responsible for protecting the president and key state installations, a position he reportedly held from 2003 to 2010.
His arrest came alongside that of his brother-in-law, retired Brig Gen Frank Rusagara, and former army sergeant François Kabayiza.
They were accused of making statements critical of the government and attempting to incite soldiers and members of the public against the state.
In March 2016, Rwanda’s Military High Court convicted Byabagamba of offences including inciting insurrection, tarnishing the image of the government, concealing evidence and contempt of the national flag.
He was sentenced to 21 years in prison and stripped of his military rank and medals.
In December 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld his convictions but reduced his sentence to 15 years. Byabagamba later received an additional three-year sentence in 2020 over allegations related to an attempted prison escape.
Rusagara, who had served as Rwanda’s Defence Ministry secretary general and military attaché to the United Kingdom, died in prison in March 2025 after more than 11 years behind bars.
He was serving a 15-year sentence after his original 20-year sentence was reduced on appeal.