EASF Gets New Director As Rwanda's Rwivanga Succeeds Kenya's Njema

Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga of Rwanda has assumed office as Director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), succeeding Brigadier General (Rtd) Paul Kahuria Njema of Kenya in a handover ceremony held on 20 May at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala. The ceremony was presided over by Uganda's Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Marksons Oboth, who also serves as Chairperson of the EASF Council of Ministers. In his remarks, Minister Oboth commended the outgoing director for strengthening the institution's operational readiness, governan

Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga of Rwanda has assumed office as Director of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), succeeding Brigadier General (Rtd) Paul Kahuria Njema of Kenya in a handover ceremony held on 20 May at the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs headquarters in Mbuya, Kampala. The ceremony was presided over by Uganda's Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Jacob Marksons Oboth, who also serves as Chairperson of the EASF Council of Ministers. In his remarks, Minister Oboth commended the outgoing director for strengthening the institution's operational readiness, governance structures, and financial management over his three-year tenure. He urged Brig Gen Rwivanga to build on those gains, adding that Rwanda's experience in innovation, discipline, and institutional rebuilding would serve the organisation well. "You are stepping into big shoes. You inherit not only the achievements of the past, but also high expectations and a community committed to working with you in unity, professionalism, and purpose," Oboth said. In his farewell remarks, Brig Gen (Rtd) Njema described his tenure as a period of collective resilience and regional cooperation, noting improvements in planning, training, exercises, and coordination among member states. Brig Gen Rwivanga, in his acceptance address, pledged to lead the organisation with transparency, professionalism, and accountability, describing the appointment as both an honour and a duty to advance peace and security across the region. The EASF is one of five regional multidimensional standby forces under the African Standby Force framework, comprising military, police, and civilian components. Its membership spans ten countries: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda.