The announcement was made by the RDF on the evening of Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Among those retiring are two Major Generals and seven Brigadier Generals.
The last time RDF personnel at the rank of General retired was in 2023. That cohort included prominent figures such as Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe, Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira, Lt Gen (Rtd) Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, Lt Gen (Rtd) Charles Kayonga, and others.
In this article, we take a closer look at the careers of the Generals who have now transitioned into retirement.
Maj Gen Andrew Kagame
Major General Andrew Kagame is among the senior RDF officers who have officially retired.
He most recently served as the Commander of the 1st Division, which covers Kigali City and the Eastern Province.
He was appointed to this role in October 2024, replacing Maj Gen Emmy Ruvusha, who was named Coordinator of Rwanda's Security Operations in Mozambique.
Prior to this assignment, Maj Gen Kagame served as the Deputy Commander of the Reserve Force.
Maj Gen Wilson Gumisiriza
Major General Wilson Gumisiriza was born in 1962 in Uganda, where his parents had taken refuge.
He played an active role in the Rwandan Liberation Struggle, and held the rank of Major by the end of the campaign.
During the struggle, he served as the Head of Intelligence for the 157th Battalion, which played a critical role in the capture of the Gako Military Academy.
The 157th Battalion was also home to several other prominent military leaders, including Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira, Maj Gen (Rtd) Eric Murokore, and the current RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Mubarak Muganga.
Over the course of his military career, Maj Gen Gumisiriza held several key leadership roles within the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). He served as Commander of the Armoured and Mechanized Division, and later led the 3rd Division, which operates in Rwanda's Western Province.
He also previously commanded the 501 Brigade.
In recent years, Maj Gen Gumisiriza has provided strategic guidance to RDF troops deployed to Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, as part of Rwanda's counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
Brig Gen Joseph Demali
Brigadier General Joseph Demali served in the Rwanda Air Force. Throughout his career, he held several key positions within the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), including serving as the Air Force Chief of Staff from 2013 to 2014.
He also represented Rwanda abroad, serving as the Defence Attaché at the Rwandan Embassy in Turkey, and later in the same role at the Rwandan Embassy in Kenya.
Brig Gen Fred Muziraguharara
Brigadier General Fred Muziraguharara held various key positions throughout his career in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
Between 1998 and 2000, he served as the Director of Research. From 2005 to 2006, he was the Chief Instructor at the Gako Military Academy.
In 2007â€"2008, he served as the Director of Operations in the RDF, before being deployed to the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur, where he served as Chief of Strategic Planning.
From 2010 to 2012, Brig Gen Muziraguharara was the Director of Planning within the RDF.
He later represented the RDF at the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).
He also served as the Director General of Administration and Finance at the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) from 2013 to 2018.
As of now, Fred Muziraguharara serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Group Ltd.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in January 2018, rising from the rank of Colonel.
Brig Gen James Ruzibiza
In 2019, James Ruzibiza was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and appointed as the Commander of the Engineering Brigade within the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
He also served as the Chief of Civil-Military Relations (Chief J9), overseeing collaboration and engagement between the military and civilian populations.
Brig Gen Frank Mutembe
Brigadier General Frank Mutembe recently served as the Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division Commander in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF). He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2019, from the rank of Colonel.
As part of Rwanda's counter-terrorism mission in Mozambique, Brig Gen Mutembe served as the Task Force Battle Group Commander, a role he held until 2023.
He also previously served as the RDF Task Force Division Commander and commanded Rwandan peacekeeping forces deployed to Darfur under a United Nations mission.
Brig Gen Pascal Muhizi
Brigadier General Pascal Muhizi most recently served as the Commander of the 5th Division of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), operating in the Eastern Province.
He also previously commanded the 2nd Division, which is based in the Northern Province.
He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in June 2021.
Brig Gen Muhizi served as the Battle Group Task Force Commander of Rwandan troops deployed in the Mozambique counter-terrorism mission.
Brig Gen Nelson Rwigema
Nelson Rwigema was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2019. Over the course of his military career, he held several key positions, including Commander of the 2nd Division, operating in the Northern Province, and Commander of the Reserve Force in the Western Province.
Brig Gen Jean Paul Karangwa
Jean Paul Karangwa was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in 2019, from the rank of Colonel. Following his promotion, he was appointed as the Commander of the Military Police Regiment in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
He also previously served as the Commander of RDF forces in Kigali City.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/who-are-the-nine-generals-retiring-from-the-rdf
