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Brig Gen Godfrey Gasana appointed President Kagame’s special pilot
President Paul Kagame, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), has appointed Brigadier General Godfrey Gasana as his Special Pilot, a role he will carry out alongside his duties as Advisor to the Minister of Defence on Air Force operations.
The appointments were announced late on the night of January 24, 2026, and also included Colonel Dan Gatsinzi, who was named Deputy Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Air Force in charge of Operations.
Brig Gen Gasana is an experienced pilot who has long served within the Air Force. His new assignment marks a rare and notable designation, as it is among the few times Rwanda has publicly announced the appointment of a dedicated pilot for the President.
In 2023, Gasana was promoted from the rank of Colonel to Brigadier General, at a time when he was serving as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
Meanwhile, Col Dan Gatsinzi, who received his promotion to the rank of Colonel in September 2024, has steadily advanced through the military ranks. In 2025, he emerged as the best-performing officer among graduates of the RDF Senior Command and Staff College in Nyakinama, Musanze District.
Previously, in 2021, Col Gatsinzi served as Director of Operations in the Rwanda Air Force, a role that prepared him for his newly assigned leadership responsibilities.
These appointments reflect Rwanda’s continued commitment to strengthening the leadership and operational effectiveness of its Air Force.
