KIGALI, Nov 23 (Reuters) – A Catholic priest who planned to return to Rwanda to register an opposition party and run for president in 2017 was barred from boarding a flight to Kigali on Wednesday, he and his supporters said in a statement.

Father Thomas Nahimana, 45, who left Rwanda 11 years ago saying he feared for his safety, and three others in his team were stopped from boarding a connecting flight in Nairobi, they said.

Nahimana’s planned return was less than a year after a referendum approved a constitutional change to let President Paul Kagame stay on until 2034, if he wins elections.

Kagame’s government has been praised for transforming a nation that was torn apart by genocide in 1994, but it has also faced criticism from international rights groups and Western donors for stifling free speech, a charge it denies. FULL STORY