State ends free meals for KDF soldiers, introduce Pay-As-You-Eat from Tuesday

Kenya Defence Forces officers will from tomorrow start paying for their meals as the subsidy programme comes to an end.

KDF, in an internal memo seen by the Star, has directed units to prepare for the rollout of the new feeding programme, Pay-As-You-Eat (PAYE), starting on July 1.

This means that officers will now have to part with a fraction of their salary to cater for their lunch or source cheaper options outside the barracks.

Military personnel of lower ranks normally depend on the subsidy programme and the new directive will mean fiscal adjustment to their already stretched payslips.

It has been a tradition in the region to have disciplined officers supplied with free meals while on duty to avoid predisposing them to security risks as a result of eating outside their camps.

In a circular dated June 23, the Army Headquarters directed units to demand Ration Scale Four for 14 days as seed capital for the transition.

“Please note that it is envisaged the proceeds of the Seed Capital will form a self-sustaining revolving fund to be administered by the PAYE management committees established at Fmn/Base/unit levels to oversee operation of the messing facilities,” read the memo signed by Brigadier E N Kitusya.

KDF noted, in an earlier memo, that the shift in the policy is necessitated by the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of the former system.

“To ensure a seamless transition and effective implementation of the PAYE system, roll out a comprehensive sensitisation programme for all service personnel to enhance understanding of the PAYE system,” the memo reads.

Commanders have also been instructed to leverage existing mess infrastructure to support the new programme, with any further needs to be addressed progressively into the 2025/26 financial year.

The new directive, according to the headquarters, marks a significant shift towards a more accountable and sustainable logistics model within the military.

This is, however, not the first time the government has tried to end the free meals to KDF officers, with each push failing to take off.

The new system is a product of a committee that had been looking into the transition since October last year.

The committee’s mandate was to develop and recommend modalities for the successful implementation strategy of the system following consultations with stakeholders.

The panel submitted its recommendations to the Service Commanders Committee Meeting on October 29, 2024.

“A subsequent presentation on December 17, 2024 outlined the implementation strategy and timelines for the PAYE system, which were reviewed and deliberated,” a document in possession of the Star reads.

INSTANT ANALYSIS

Under the new model, middle-level military bosses were to put in place a secure payment method ahead of the rollout this Tuesday. Earlier, attempts by the government to have KDF officers pay for their meals have been shelved after disquiet, especially from the junior ranks who depend on the free provisions after committing their payslips.