The President of the Republic, Paul Kagame, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force, has appointed Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa as the Defence Spokesperson, replacing Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, who was recently appointed Director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF).
The appointment of Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa was contained in a statement released this Wednesday June 17, 2026, from the Rwanda Defence Force High Command.
The statement reads: “His Excellency the President of the Republic of Rwanda and Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has appointed Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa as the Defence Spokesperson.”
Brigadier General Patrick Karuretwa currently serves as Director General of International Military Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence, a role he will continue to hold alongside his new responsibilities as RDF Spokesperson.
The new RDF Spokesperson Brig Gen Karuretwa, replaces Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, who was recently appointed Director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), a role he began last month.
Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, who has been replaced by Brig Gen Karuretwa, had served as RDF Spokesperson for five and a half years, having taken up the role in December 2020.
The EASF, now led by Brig Gen Rwivanga, is made up of 10 member states: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.
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