MUMARIRA MENSHI😭DORE UKO UMUGORE WA TOM BYABAGAMBA N'ABAHUNGU BE BAMUSEZEYE MURUSENGERO!

During an emotional evening dedicated to celebrating the life and memory of former Rwanda Defence Force officer Colonel Tom Byabagamba, his wife, Mary Baine, delivered a deeply personal tribute tracing their journey together—from the beginning of their marriage to the difficult years of imprisonment and his death. Speaking through tears, Mary reflected on the husband and father behind the military uniform. She spoke about their two sons, the life they built as a family, the challenges they endured, her visits to him while he was in prison, and the final message she says he left with her before his passing. Her testimony offered a rare family perspective on a man widely known through his military career and court proceedings but whose private life as a husband and father remained largely outside public view. Tom Byabagamba was once a senior officer in the Rwanda Defence Force and commanded the elite Presidential Guard responsible for protecting the Head of State and key national installations. He had previously served in President Paul Kagame’s personal security detail and later participated in a United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. He was arrested in August 2014 and prosecuted alongside retired Brigadier General Frank Rusagara and retired Sergeant François Kabayiza. In March 2016, Rwanda’s Military High Court convicted Byabagamba of offences that included inciting insurrection, tarnishing the image of the government, concealing evidence, and contempt of the national flag. He was initially sentenced to 21 years in prison and stripped of his military rank and decorations. In December 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction but reduced the sentence to 15 years. Byabagamba died in prison on August 25, 2026, at the age of 59, after approximately 12 years in detention. His death was announced by his elder brother, David Himbara. The family’s initial announcement did not disclose the medical cause or complete circumstances surrounding his death. This Rwanda Updates report presents Mary Baine’s emotional tribute, her account of their family journey, the message she says her husband left behind, and the broader history of Tom Byabagamba’s military service, imprisonment, and final years. The words attributed to Byabagamba in this video are presented as recounted by his wife during the memorial event. Rwanda Updates Media was not independently present during the private conversation in which those words were reportedly spoken. JOURNALISM DISCLAIMER Rwanda Updates Media is committed to factual, balanced, responsible, and public-interest journalism. We do not support or promote violence, terrorism, armed groups, hate speech, harassment, criminal activity, political propaganda, or hostility against any person, institution, or community. This report is produced strictly for journalistic, documentary, historical, and educational purposes. Personal recollections made by family members are presented as their testimony. Statements from government institutions, political figures, human-rights organizations, media outlets, witnesses, or social-media users remain attributable to those respective sources and should not automatically be treated as independently verified facts. Colonel Tom Byabagamba’s family confirmed that he died while imprisoned. However, Rwanda Updates Media does not claim that he was killed, poisoned, deliberately denied medical treatment, or subjected to any other specific act unless such a conclusion is established through credible medical evidence or an official and transparent investigation. The report respectfully presents scenes from an evening celebrating his life and does not seek to exploit the grief of his wife, children, relatives, or friends. The narration, research, editorial structure, contextual analysis, and presentation constitute an original Rwanda Updates Media production. Any third-party images or video excerpts are used only where necessary for news reporting, commentary, criticism, documentation, and public-interest analysis. May Colonel Tom Byabagamba rest in peace, and may his wife, their two sons, relatives, and friends find strength during this difficult period. 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe to Rwanda Updates 💬 Share your opinion respectfully in the comments 📤 Share this report with others #TomByabagamba #MaryBaine #RwandaUpdates #RwandaNews #Kigali #RDF #DavidHimbara #FrankRusagara #BreakingNews #AfricanNews Tom Byabagamba, Col Tom Byabagamba, Colonel Tom Byabagamba, Mary Baine, umugore wa Tom Byabagamba, ijambo rya nyuma rya Tom Byabagamba, ubutumwa bwa nyuma bwa Tom Byabagamba, umugore wa Col Tom Byabagamba yavuze, amarira mu kwibuka Tom Byabagamba, umugoroba wo kwizihiza ubuzima bwa Tom Byabagamba, urupfu rwa Tom Byabagamba, Tom Byabagamba yapfiriye muri gereza, abana ba Tom Byabagamba, umuryango wa Tom Byabagamba, David Himbara, Frank Rusagara, RDF, amakuru y’u Rwanda, amakuru agezweho, Rwanda Updates