The fast-closing existential crisis in our military

At the end of this month, the salaries of the deceased KDF service personnel of the April 18 fatal helicopter crash will not be credited into their respective bank accounts. 

As soon as the SITREP confirming the deaths reached Defense Headquarters by name, service number and rank the changes to hold all the deceased’s salaries back took effect. This is and has always been an anti-human policy given that it is the salaries of these men and women that run operations in their families. 

At the end of this month, the families of these deceased soldiers now dubbed shujaas will not have money for food, fuel, LPG, car service, clothes, shoes, insurance premiums, mortgage payments, loan repayment, seeds, fertiliser, high purchase payments, rent, back to school fees and shopping, salaries for staff and, utilities.

The beneficiaries of the black tax, by extension relatives and other dependants, need to brace for a dry tap permanently. In grief recovery, one of the tools for recovery is to establish normal life routines to grieve successfully. 

For too long new widows and fatherless children have had to endure being twice gutted by having to grieve whilst their economic security is taken away. From this point, it will take however long it takes, going into years before these families are paid the dues of their dearly departed. Officially, it must take three months for the military to settle with the families of the deceased soldiers.

Dear Reader, I know the words printed above read like an incredibly ridiculous perhaps even false narrative given the perception the military presents during the burials. It is often a three-day display of abundance, might, organization and respect for the family whose main attraction is always the gun salute. The deceased can be honoured in a military fashion and the family languishes afterwards. Both of these can exist in one timeline. 

Three blind mice

Another rather unexpected yet new reality is that these families immediately fall under the Military Veterans’ Bill 2022 and no longer the KDF ACT 2012. Not many if any at all are aware of this shift. The Military Veterans ACT 2022 in this present moment has got nothing to offer new and old veterans. Since it became law it has remained tucked under national security issues buried deep in a shelf behind the desk of the National Security Council. 

The Military Veterans ACT 2022 has been in service only to those who were rewarded positions as council members. Lest it is forgotten, said ACT has provisions for the Chair of the Military Veterans Council to be deployed for other duties by the Chief of Defense Forces at his discretion.

This effectively translates to the entire Military Veterans’ Council not being able to be in the service of military veterans by first and foremost operationalising the Military Veterans ACT 2022. 

It is in the best interest of the National Security Council, the KDF and most importantly the veterans and families to separate the Military Veterans ACT from the military and the National Security Council. 

The logic filed in support of this position is in the Daily Nation article titled Military Veterans have paid enough and are owed restoration of human rights. It was published on June 12, 2022. The Defense Forces Medical Insurance Scheme is controlled and manned by the Kenya Defense Forces even though its purpose under the Deed Trust is to provide private non-military medical care to military veterans and families nationwide. Once again Kenyans under the KDF ACT dictate the terms to Kenyans who not only fall under the Military Veterans ACT but are free from the shackles of the Limitation of Rights but within the confines of the Official Secrets ACT. 

These are the Limitations of Rights every Kenya Defense Forces service personnel is bound to: Freedom of conscience, Freedom of religion, Freedom of thought, Freedom of belief, Freedom of opinion, Freedom of expression, Freedom of political rights, Freedom of movement and residence, Freedom of privacy, Freedom of access to information, Freedom of association, Right to assembly, Right to demonstrate, Right to picket or petition, Right to labour relations, Right of arrested person, Right to economic and social rights. Military veterans live in fear of flexing their restored Rights lest they be treated as subversives and labelled disloyal. 

This label of disloyalty is a future ender of government appointments and prospective jobs requiring military recommendation. It is also important to highlight that members of the Defense Forces Medical Insurance have pre-paid for their medical service for 16 years or its equivalent during active service to reach the calculated amount to qualify. 

It is therefore a huge disservice to military veterans and families who are hurt, ailing and in pain, some even show up for preventive care to have a pre-planned medical camp for Saturday, April 20th cancelled with the reason provided being the multiple fatalities helicopter crash on April 18.

The military on the other hand is in full operation. Why should military veterans who are not party to the day-to-day operations of the military be the first casualty? The interests of military veterans and families will forever be subordinate to the KDF should the Military Veterans ACT not be separated from the KDF under the umbrella of the National Security Council. Military Veterans and families are not expendable as is required. 

Valar Morghulis

Not one even once. That is the number of times Kenya’s last three Commander-in-Chiefs have attended the funeral of deceased soldiers. That makes a total of 22 years. How many soldiers have died in the service of this country during the last 22 years? In the last 22 years, none of the Commanders-in-Chief has made the time to attend a single funeral of men and women who are under his command. 

Not since the Mount Kenya insurgency (2005-2008), Operation Linda Nchi (2011-2012), the African Union Mission in Somalia (2012-Present) and the Kivu Conflict. When perceived from our cultural lens, the interpretation of this omission is crystal clear. After all, every soldier has taken their oath to serve this country with his/her life in the presence of the Commander-In-Chief. 

Over the years they have made the time to attend the pass-out parades. Indeed, all commissioned officers hold a presidential parchment whose instructions are an order. Time and time again Kenyan soldiers have fulfilled their oath to completion. The separation between the much-touted shujaas of this nation, which we veterans have had our fill of hearing about, exists only in the imagination of those in active service. Military veterans know the truth. As a matter of fact, they are living it. It is time the Commander-in-chief demonstrated reciprocity. 

He should take an oath defending the legacy of those under his command by ensuring the dead are honoured and, the living transition and reintegrate successfully. Furthermore, they and their families, especially those of the deceased service personnel, live a life worthy of a grateful nation. 

The newly minted military veteran families just like the old families do not derive tangible support, comfort, sustenance or recovery from the overt demonstrations of military traditions. Whom do they really honour? Whom are they in service of? We as a military. We as a country. We as a people, have chosen to value these above a human-centred and trauma-informed policy whose regulations translate to drying the tears of the bereaved and feel like a warm, tight and empathic hug of assurance that their lives shall continue without the quality of life-limiting challenges. This is truly the only way to honour veteran families- for their families to go on and succeed in life through to the generations to follow. 

The military has many cryptic and overt sayings which aim to cement stoicism intractably. The active one under these circumstances is, “There is no vacancy in the military.” Yanni, “Jeshi hainaga vacancy.” If not striking at the heart of their conscience, at the very least the death of the highest-ranking military officer in-country in the history of our country has opened a fast-closing window of existential crisis.

 All over the top reasonable war-gamed man-made measures taken to preserve General Officers in active service and post service have no guarantees. Valar Morghulis. However, that does not have to end their story which is carried by those they risked it all and gave their all for. That is why this article. Is the needle going to move? 

The late CDF General Francis Ogolla was a friend. Though I never worked directly under his command during my active service, we shared a professional working relationship. 

This was made possible only because he didn’t equate rank to level of intelligence and or level of professionalism. May he rest in eternal peace. May all the souls rest in eternal peace. 

I pray for divine comfort and peace to all the children, spouses, families, loved ones, friends and neighbours grieving right now. I also pray for their recovery and healing over time with the support of angels in flesh and in spirit. 

Lucy Wairimu Mukuria. Psychologist. Retired Major and confirmed military veteran activist. Ashoka Fellow. [email protected]