By Brian Okoth
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has made wide-ranging changes in the country’s senior security leadership.
Major-General Albert Murasira has been replaced as the Minister of Defence by Juvenal Marizamunda, who now leaves his role as the Commissioner-General of the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS).
President Kagame also changed the Chief of Defence Staff, naming Lieutenant-General Mubarakh Muganga to the position.
Muganga takes over from General Jean-Bosco Kazura who occupied the position since November 2019.
The new Defence Forces boss is 56 years old, and has served in the military for more than 30 years.
Muganga was the Army Chief of Staff in the Rwanda Defence Force.
At the same time, the president promoted Major-General Vincent Nyakarundi to the position of Army Chief of Staff following Muganga’s elevation.
Nyakarundi was the Head of Intelligence in the Rwanda Defence Force, a position that now goes to Colonel Francois-Regis Gatarayiha, who will occupy the seat in an acting capacity.
Major-General Alex Kagame will serve as the Joint Taskforce Commander in Mozambique, where he will replace Major-General Eugene Nkubito.
Nkubito now takes charge of Division 3 of the Rwanda Defence Force.
Colonel Theodomir Bahizi has been named the Battle Group Commander in Mozambique, where Rwandan security forces have been deployed since 2021 to fight insurgency at Cabo Delgado province.
There are more than 2,500 Rwandan soldiers in the area.
President Kagame also promoted Augustin Migabo to the rank of Colonel and named him the Deputy Commander of the Special Force Command, currently headed by Major-General Ruki Karusisi.
In other changes, Brigadier-General Evariste Murenzi has been appointed the Commissioner-General of the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) to replace the new chief of Defence Forces, Muganga.
Jean-Bosco Ntibitura has been named National Intelligence and Security Services’ Director-General in charge of Internal Security.
Kagame said in a statement on Monday that the changes take effect immediately.
The reasons for the wide-ranging reshuffle in Rwanda’s top security leadership remain unclear.
