Machakos- Kenya, 9 October 2021

The Rwanda Defence Force contingent of 19 medical personnel along with other contingents from EAC Armed Forces today kicked off the EAC Armed Forces Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Week, in Kenya from 9th to 13th October 2021. 

The CIMIC medical care week was conducted in different regions including Machakos, Kajiado and Nairobi. The aim of this medical care week is to enhance cooperation in civil military affairs between EAC Defence Forces. 

The RDF contingent was led by Lt Col Vincent Mugisha, the Chief of Civil Military Relations (J9) of the RDF.  RDF specialized medics are currently conducting medical outreach services in Machakos county -Muumandu Health Center, 85 Kms from Nairobi. 

They are providing free treatment in pediatrics, gynecology, internal medicine, general medicine, ophthalmology and dental. The RDF medical contingent have so far attended to 90 patients on the first day of the exercise. 

Winny Chemutai Too, who is in charge of Muumandu Health Center Facility said “People usually associate the military with guns, and do not often see them offering humanitarian services. This is therefore a very important gesture of good civil military relations.”

The EAC Armed Forces CIMIC Week is annually carried out in accordance with EAC Protocol on Cooperation in Defence. This is the 3rd EAC Armed Forces CIMIC Week. The previous CIMIC services were held in Uganda and Rwanda respectively in 2018 and 2019.