President Paul Kagame, who is the Commander in Chief of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), has dismissed Maj Gen Martin Nzaramba from the military, the RDF said in a statement on Friday, August 30.
Nzaramba was dismissed along with Col Etienne Uwimana and 19 other senior and junior officers, according to the statement.
President Kagame also authorised the dismissal and rescission of contracts of 195 other ranks from the RDF.
Major General Martin Nzaramba was born in 1967 in Mpigi, Uganda, where his family had fled. He once served as the Director of the Nasho Military Academy.
Colonel Dr. Etienne Uwimana was a doctor and spent a long time practicing at Kanombe Military Hospital. In 2020, he was appointed Director of the Department responsible for medical imaging services at Kanombe Military Hospital.
The reasons for the dismissal of these senior military officers were not disclosed, but RDF (Rwanda Defense Force) regulations state that any individual engaging in activities that undermine the dignity of the military profession, including severe drunkenness or actions that discredit the military profession and could lead to prosecution in military courts such as drug use, theft, and others, will be dismissed.
Reasons for a soldier’s dismissal from the military include serious violations related to failure to adhere to military values.
This includes failure to embody the values of the Rwanda Defense Forces, such as respecting military authorities. A soldier involved in corruption, division, discord, or creating factions may also be dismissed.
Termination of military service occurs when an employer finds no reason to continue the contract, especially due to improper conduct.
