Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Gen Mubarakh Muganga, has marked his 59th birthday, reflecting a military career that spans over three decades and includes Rwanda’s liberation struggle, the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and post-war national reconstruction.
Gen Muganga was appointed Chief of Defence Staff on June 5, 2023, succeeding Gen Jean Bosco Kazura. Prior to this, he served as Commander of the Land Forces, one of the RDF’s most senior operational roles.
He is widely regarded as one of Rwanda’s long-serving military officers, with a career closely linked to the evolution of the country’s armed forces from the liberation struggle to a professional national army.
Born in exile in Uganda in 1967, Gen Muganga pursued early military training with the aim of joining efforts to liberate Rwanda. In 1988, at the age of 22, he attended officer training at the Jinja Military Academy in Uganda before joining the RPA Inkotanyi forces.
During the liberation struggle, he served alongside his father, Hadji Saleh Muganga, in a rare and symbolic moment reflecting military discipline, where operational rank took precedence over family relations.
The liberation war, which began on October 1, 1990, later transformed into a campaign that ended the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with the RPA emerging victorious on July 4, 1994.
Following the conflict, Gen Muganga held several command positions within the RDF and played a role in post-war stabilization and institutional rebuilding of the military.
He has undertaken advanced military training in several countries, including Zambia, Kenya, China, and Egypt, complementing his academic background in governance and leadership.
In 2021, he was appointed Commander of the Land Forces at the rank of Lieutenant General before being elevated to Chief of Defence Staff in 2023.
With more than 35 years of service, Gen Muganga has received several national and military decorations, including the National Liberation Medal, Campaign Against Genocide Medal, Foreign Campaign Medal, Presidential Inauguration Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Combat Service Ribbon, and Community Service Ribbon, recognizing his long-standing service to the country.
