Chief of Defence Forces Robert Kibochi has defended the involvement of the military in civilian affairs by running certain public institutions.
In a TV interview on Wednesday night, November 3, Kibochi noted that according to the constitution the military is mandated to cooperate and assist other government agencies either in times of crisis or emergencies.
He gave examples of institutions such as the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) and Kenya Railways.
"For instance take Kenya Railways, that has provided support to local communities but needed a lot of Metre Gauge lines. They have not been able to revive the lines, that speaks of emergencies hence the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is tasked to go and assist. As of today, 95 percent has been restored," he stated.
He noted that such projects portray a positive involvement of the military and Kenyans should not be wary when the disciplined forces assist in ensuring operations run smoothly for their benefit.
In regards to KMC, he affirmed that revitalizing the commission was a daunting task for the KDF which was mandated by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
"In the case of Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), it was a disaster (when we took over). Today as we speak, every soldier in KDF, every police officer who is in Kiganjo, KWS, prisons get meat from KMC," he noted.
The KDF boss also dispelled rumours that the Kenyan military prioritized revenue generation as opposed to protecting the lives of its citizens.
"We are not after revenue generation, we are an enabler, our job is to create conditions so that those that manage these facilities can see that if you work in the right conditions in a right environment you will be able to make profits," he pointed out.
Further, he noted that the disciplined forces doesn't discriminate during recruitment exercises- reiterating that all Kenyans have an equal opportunity during the process.
"The qualities that we look for are well stipulated in the adverts like age, between 18-26 years for both genders and other academic qualifications. We will be having two categories of officer cadets - those with degrees and those without," Kibochi affirmed.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has been accused of militarizing the Public Service by appointing military chiefs to key positions, including NMS, led by Major General Mohamed Badi.
