The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers are anxious about the government's plan to cut their lunch subsidy.
According to a memo sent to the officers by the Ministry of Defence's Major General Mohammed Nur Hassan, the lunch subsidy that has been in place for years will end beginning the first of July this year.
The memo further indicated that the change to the 'pay as you eat'(PAYE) plan had been necessitated by the subsidy programme's inefficiencies and ineffectiveness.
''The transition from the existing exchequer-funded lunch programme to the pay-as-you-eat (PAYE) system, necessitated by the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the former system,'' the memo read in part.
''The system will be deployed no later than March 31, 2025, to facilitate meal bookings and payments, ensuring accountability and efficiency. Note that the PAYE system is scheduled to be operational on July 1, 2025,'' it added.
The directive mandated the termination of the exchequer-funded lunch subsidy program by the end of the current financial year, transitioning to a pay-as-you-eat system effective July 1, 2025.
The memo further directed service commanders to prepare cost-effective cashless payment systems including mobile money paybill services to pay for the soldiers’ meals.
The memo further stated that the decision was made after the Ministry of Defence formed a committee to examine the subsidy programme's advantages and disadvantages.
The committee included representatives from the Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force, and Kenya Navy Service Commanders.
The announcement has already sparked anxiety among junior officers, who fear they will have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover meal costs.
However, the Ministry of Defence defended the plan, highlighting that it aims to save approximately Ksh2 to 3 billion per financial year. The ministry further emphasised that the programme will help streamline budgetary allocations and promote the efficient use of government resources.
"The decision to transition from an exchequer-funded lunch program for service members to pay-as-you-eat (PAYE) has been necessitated by the need to streamline budgetary allocation, efficiency in the use of government resources, facilitating access to a variety of meals that suit individual preferences and alignment to best military practices both regionally and internationally,'' Ministry of Defence stated.
