President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed into law the Military Veterans Bill, 2022.
The new law will help ex-servicemen to transition to civilian life and their family secure jobs and scholarships for education after exiting the service.
This will apply for ex-military men who served before or after 1963 in the colonial King’s African Rifles (KAR), post-colonial Kenya Armed Forces (KAF) or currently in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The law allows Defence Council to prescribe regulations for the administration of the Fund including the procedure for processing applications for scholarships.
It also establishes the advisory committee on military veterans that will advise and make recommendations to the Defence Council, Cabinet Secretary or Director of Military Veterans on any matter relating to the military veterans or their dependents.
“The Defence Council shall facilitate the provisions of benefits under this section to military veterans and their dependants through the ministry responsible for matters relating to military veterans, any other government ministry, department or agency, or a private entity,” the Act states.
The new law was signed in the presence of Chief of Defence Forces General Robert Kibochi, service commanders, representatives of the military veterans and Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto among others.
“Policies regarding military veterans shall be aimed at ensuring the smooth and seamless transition of military veterans from military service to civilian life,” the Act added.