The minister congratulated the pioneer cohort and welcomed the Senior Directing Staff and civilian faculty who will guide participants throughout the 11-month programme.
Marizamunda described the opening as a historic milestone for Rwanda's defence and security architecture and a major step towards strengthening professional military education in the country.
The NDC-R is a constituent organ of the National Defence University-Rwanda. It was established following a directive by President Paul Kagame, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), with a mandate to provide education at the strategic level.
The inaugural course marks the beginning of the college's programme aimed at developing strategic-level knowledge and skills among its participants.
The opening follows the recent merger of Rwanda's key military and security colleges and training institutions into a single higher learning institution, the National Defence University–Rwanda (NDU-R), under a new law published in the Official Gazette on April 10, 2026.
The law provides that the President of the Republic, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force, is the Chancellor of the university.
The National Defence University–Rwanda includes several constituent institutions such as the National Defence College–Rwanda (NDC-R), Defence College of Health Sciences (DCHS), Defence Institute of Sciences and Technology (DIST), and the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), all based in Kigali.
Other institutions include the National Intelligence Academy (NIA) in Bugesera District, the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College (RDFCSC) in Musanze District, the National Police College (NPC) in Musanze, and the Rwanda Military Academy (RMA) in Bugesera.
The university is mandated to provide advanced education, training, and research for personnel in defence and security organs, senior government officials involved in national security, and international partners, with the aim of strengthening strategic thinking through high-level academic instruction and research.
The university is jointly overseen by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education.
Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwanda-opens-inaugural-national-defence-college-course-photos/
