By The EastAfrican

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Two of Rwanda’s long-serving military officers, Maj-Gen Aloys Muganga and Brig-Gen Francis Mutiganda, were sacked this week in changes that also saw 14 other officers and 200 junior soldiers fired over what President Kagame termed ill-discipline, which runs counter to his emphasis on discipline and what it means to make a good military.

In his annual address to the High Command Council that brings together Rwanda’s security chiefs form Rwanda Defence Force, Rwanda National Police, and Intelligence Services, Kagame asked soldiers to “uphold the values of discipline, service to the country and hard work on which the RDF (Rwanda Defence Forces) was founded” and avoid corruption, abuse of power and resources.

And that “he would not waver in taking appropriate action against those who fail to fulfil their responsibilities.”

President Kagame as commander-in-chief occasionally cracks the whip on senior officers with some generals being placed under house arrest amid investigations over corruption or indiscipline while some long-serving generals stay unemployed for long.

Maj-Gen Muganga previously served as acting chief of staff at RDF Reserve Force, in 2018, and later in 2019, was appointed the commander of the Mechanical division while Maj-Gen Mutiganda previously served as the director-general of external security at the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) until October 2018 when he was recalled back to RDF headquarters.

While the specific reasons for their sacking have not been made public, Article 98 of the RDF statute states that a disciplinary fault consists of commission or omission be it voluntary or out of negligence that may impede military duties, disobedience to lawful orders given by superiors and any behaviour tarnishing the image of RDF.

Gross misconduct includes what can result in tarnishing the image of RDF. Article 101 of the RDF statute states that grounds for termination of military service include retirement, dismissal, rescission of a service contract and stripping of military ranks.

In the latest reshuffle, on June 5, President Kagame appointed Lit-Gen Mubarakh Muganga Chief of Defence Staff, dropping Gen Jean-Bosco Kazura, a former close adviser who was appointed in November 2019.

Before that, Lit-Gen Muganga had served as RDF Army Chief of Staff, where he was replaced by Maj-Gen Vincent Nyakarundi, who had previously served as Head of Defence Intelligence from 2019 to 2023.

Maj-Gen Nyakarundi was a diplomat for over ten years in the US as the military attaché in Washington, DC and as the Defence and Military Advisor for the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations in New York. He has also previously commanded one of the two Rwandan military contingents that spearheaded the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) in 2004.

The new head of Defence Intelligence in an interim capacity is Colonel Francis Regis Gatarayiha, who until recently was the Head of the Communications, Electronic and Cyber Security Department in the RDF. Gatarayiha has previously served as the Director-General of Immigration and Emigration as well as the Director-General of the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority.

Before that, he served as the Permanent Secretary Ministry of ICT.

Livelihoods

“Wherever one works, they must focus on their duties, perform them well, with the understanding of the importance of those responsibilities and how they will contribute to the livelihoods of Rwandans,” Kagame said in a brief statement after the swearing-in of new security chiefs on June 7.

The military shakeup comes after a recent reshuffle in the police. President Kagame appointed Felix Namuhoranye, the Inspector General of Police , Rwanda National Police on February 23, dropping Dan Munyuza who was appointed in 2018.

Namuhoranye was serving as Deputy Commissioner General of Police, a position that he held since October 2018.

In April 2020, Kagame sacked Gen Patrick Nyamvumba, who had been appointed Minister of Internal Security in November 2019 “owing to matters of accountability under investigation,” making him one of the shortest-serving ministers in Rwanda.

Gen Nyamvumba had previously served as the chief of defence staff of the Rwanda Defence Force from 2013.

At the time, President Kagame threatened to sack him alongside the Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Albert Murasira for what he termed lying, carelessness and indiscipline.

In the latest reshuffle, President Kagame appointed Juvenal Marizamunda as the Minister of Defence replacing Murasira who had served in the post since 2018.

The 58-year-old Marizamunda was previously the head of Rwanda's correctional services, and also a former deputy inspector general of police.

In a separate communication, President Kagame promoted over 4,000 police officers to different ranks.

According to a recent Presidential Order issued in February 2020, Article 16 stipulates that the appointment of RDF high command members are appointed by the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief. Article 18 stipulates the term of office is five years, renewable once.