The Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF), General Charles Kahariri, has reaffirmed Kenya’s strong defence partnership with Rwanda, emphasizing the need for deeper regional cooperation and innovation to address Africa’s evolving security challenges.
During his three-day official visit to Rwanda from November 5 to 7, General Kahariri held separate meetings with Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, and the Chief of Defence Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), General Mubarakh Muganga, at RDF Headquarters in Kigali.
Talks centered on enhancing bilateral defence collaboration, with both sides agreeing to renew and expand the existing Defence Cooperation Agreement.
The revised framework will incorporate new areas such as technological integration and joint innovation initiatives.
Minister Marizamunda commended the enduring friendship between Nairobi and Kigali, recalling Kenya’s pivotal role in rebuilding Rwanda’s defence capacity following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
General Muganga underscored the shifting regional security dynamics and the need for closer collaboration to confront emerging threats.
He acknowledged the Kenya Defence Forces’ (KDF) mentorship in shaping the RDF into one of Africa’s most professional and capable military institutions, now a key contributor to peacekeeping operations across the continent.
General Kahariri praised the RDF’s transformation and its effective adoption of technology in defence operations, describing it as a model of modern military preparedness. “Innovation is now as critical as discipline on the battlefield,” he stated, reaffirming the KDF’s commitment to working closely with the RDF in promoting regional peace and stability.
Earlier, General Kahariri honoured the victims of the 1994 Genocide during a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial and visited the Campaign Against Genocide Museum.
He described both sites as poignant reminders of the armed forces’ duty to protect civilians and uphold peace.
General Kahariri was accompanied by Major General A. M. Burje, Director of Military Intelligence, and Brigadier R. M. Makori, Chief of Strategic Plans and Policy.
