KIGALI – President Paul Kagame has appointed Brig-Gen Vincent Nyakarundi the new Chief of Defence Intelligence as the Rwanda leader seeks to get a firm grip on the military that has been hit by a series of defections.
Brig Gen Nyakarundi has been the Defence Attaché at Rwanda’s embassy in Washington, U.S.A. He will lead the coveted RDF Defence Intelligence Department (DID), which was created in July 2018. Nyakarundi replaces Col Andrew Nyamvumba who has been appointed as the head of Defence Research and Development at the Ministry of Defence.
In the other changes made on Monday, Maj Gen Emmanuel Bayingana was appointed as the Air Force Chief of Staff. Maj Gen Bayingana has been the Chief Executive Officer of Zigama Credit and Savings Society (CSS). He is also the former Vice Chairman of the National Itorero Commission.
The changes comes five months after President Kagame appointed Maj Gen Jean-Jacques Mupenzi the new Rwanda Defence Forces Chief of Staff. He is the previous commander of the Mechanised division, which is now under the new commander, Maj Gen Aloys Muganga, who formerly commanded the Reserve Force.
Lt Gen Mupenzi replaced Lt Gen Jacques Musemakweli, who was moved to the Reserve Force as Chief of Staff. Maj Gen Muganga replaced Gen Fred Ibingira, who was fired by President Kagame last year after serving in that position since 2010.
