The Chief of 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 Chiefs of staff (1992–1994) Portrait Name Term of office Took office Left office Time in office 1 Major generalDéogratias Nsabimana April 1992 6 April 1994 † 2 ColonelMarcel Gatsinzi 7 April 1994 17 April 1994 3 Major generalAugustin Bizimungu 17 April 1994 July 1994
Chiefs of defence staff (1994–present) Portrait Name Term of office Took office Left office Time in office 1 Major general 1994 1998 years 2 Lieutenant generalFaustin Kayumba Nyamwasa 1998 2002 years 3 GeneralJames Kabarebe October 2002 10 April 2010 4 Lieutenant generalCharles Kayonga 13 April 2010 23 June 2013 5 GeneralPatrick Nyamvumba 23 June 2013 4 November 2019 6 GeneralJean Bosco Kazura 4 November 2019 5 June 2023 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> 7 generalMubarak Muganga 5 June 2023 Incumbent https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/8055/news/security/marizamunda-is-new-defence-minister-as-gen-muganga-becomes-army-chief
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