This week, President Paul Kagame approved the retirement of several officers of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), including some 12 General officers, majority of whom had a key role in the liberation of the country, and most especially stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

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Among those who are set to retire include two former Ministers of Defence and Chiefs of Defence Staff, and others who have served as service chiefs. Others have served in senior capacities within the military for the past three decades.

The retiring RDF officers did not stop at liberating the country. They were key players in the reconstruction of the country post-Genocide, and helped deal with the threat posed by elements linked to the Genocide who were hell-bent on completing their evil agenda.

They have also been a part of efforts to ensure that what happened in Rwanda does not happen elsewhere, which is rooted in the philosophy that guides Rwanda's involvement in peacekeeping missions in the different countries.

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As they head into their much-deserved retirement, just like their colleagues before them, all Rwandans owe the Generals and other officers a great debt of gratitude for helping give us a country all Rwandans are proud to call home.

Indeed, there is so much that the young generation has to learn from the retiring officers and their colleagues, both those still in service and others who retired before them.

The gallant liberators forsook their youth to give us the country we've today, and one of the most critical lessons we can learn from them is being ready to pay any price for your country.

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The retirement of the long-serving officers represents a continuation of a long tradition of passing on the baton from older to younger generations.

The most critical assignment for the younger generation now is to help not only sustain the gains achieved by their older comrades, but also to leverage the foundation the retiring officers have helped lay to fast-track the country’s development.

Fortunately, while they have retired from active military service, they are not tired; they are not abandoning the call to serve their country. We still have their rich experience and expertise with us, and they'll come in handy as we continue to forge ahead in our sacred duty of nation-building.

We wish the retired Generals and officers well-deserved retirement.