Chief of Defence Staff (Rwanda)

Chief of the Defence Staff
Umugaba Mukuru w’Ingabo z’u Rwanda (Kinyarwanda)
Incumbent General Mubarak Muganga since 5 June 2023
Rwanda Defence Force
Reports to	Minister of Defence
Appointer	the President
Formation	April 1992
First holder	Déogratias Nsabimana
Website	Official website

The Chief of the Defence Staff is the highest-ranked officer in the Rwanda Defence Force and is responsible for maintaining control over the branches of the military.

List of officeholders

Chief of staff (1992–1994)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Major general Déogratias Nsabimana (1945–1994)	April 1992	6 April 1994 †	2 years
2		Colonel Marcel Gatsinzi (born 1948)	7 April 1994	17 April 1994	10 days	[1]
3		Major general Augustin Bizimungu (born 1952)	17 April 1994	July 1994	2 months	[2] [3]

Chief of defence staff (1994–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Major general Sam Kanyemera  [ rw ]	1994	1998	3–4 years	[4]
2		Lieutenant general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa (born 1962)	1998	2002	3–4 years
3		General James Kabarebe (born 1959)	October 2002	10 April 2010	7 years, 6 months
4		Lieutenant general Charles Kayonga (born 1962)	13 April 2010	23 June 2013	3 years, 83 days	[5] [6]
5		General Patrick Nyamvumba (born 1967)	23 June 2013	4 November 2019	6 years, 134 days	[7] [6]
6		General Jean Bosco Kazura	4 November 2019	5 June 2023	3 years, 213 days	[8]
7		general Mubarak Muganga (born 1967)	5 June 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 258 days	[9]

References

1. Guichaoua, André (2015). From War to Genocide: Criminal Politics in Rwanda, 1990–1994. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 159, 212. ISBN   9780299298203.
2. Dallaire, Roméo. "Ch. 11: To Go or To Stay?". Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda . pp. 292–293.
3. Des Forges, Alison (March 1999). Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda – Extending the Genocide → Removing Dissenters. New York: Human Rights Watch. ISBN   1-56432-171-1.
4. Times Reporter (14 August 2007). "Mukezamfura speaks out on General Kaka". newtimes.co.rw. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
5. "President Kagame at Swearing- in of newly appointed Minister of Defense and Military Chiefs – Kigali, 13 April 2010". Paul Kagame. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
6. "Rwanda: Gen. Nyamvumba New Armed Forces Chief". All Africa. The New Times. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
7. "Leaders". mod.gov.rw. Retrieved Sep 6, 2019.
8. Munyaneza, J. (2019) 'General Kazura Replaces General Nyamvumba as Kagame Shakes Up Top Military Brass', The New Times (Kigali), 5 November 2019, <www.newtimes.co.rw/news/gen-kazura-replaces-gen-nyamvumba-kagame-shakes-top-military-brass>
9. https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/8055/news/security/marizamunda-is-new-defence-minister-as-gen-muganga-becomes-army-chief