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.Lestit 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 inthe 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 thearticle titled 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 MorghulisNot one even once. That is the number of times Kenyas 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.
