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

Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard, has died in prison after 12 years behind barsByThe Associated PressAugust 26, 2026, 10:57 AMKIGALI, Rwanda -- Tom Byabagamba, a former commander of President Paul Kagame’s elite presidential guard who later was convicted of inciting insurrection, has died in prison after spending a dozen years behind bars, his brother said. He was 59.Byabagamba, who held the rank of colonel before he was stripped of it, was the brother of former presidential adviser and now-exiled dissident David Himbara, who announced Byabagamba's death Tuesday in a statement on X. “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. He did not give a cause of death. There was no immediate comment from authorities in Rwanda, where the subject of Byabagamba is taboo. He was commander of the presidential guard until he apparently had a falling out with the president and was removed from his post in 2010, with no reason given. Rwandan authorities detained Byabagamba in August 2014 along with another officer, Brig. Frank Rus...