The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has announced plans to scrap its current food subsidy programme and replace it with a Pay-As-You-Eat (PAYE) system starting July 1, 2025.
The Ministry of Defense has decided to end the current exchequer-funded lunch subsidy and replace it with a pay-as-you-eat system.
In a letter dated January 17, 2025, Major General Mohamed Nur Hassan disclosed that a committee had been tasked with reviewing the lunch subsidy program for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF)
After evaluating the program’s pros and cons, the committee shared its findings with the Service Commanders Committee, which consists of leaders from the Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force, and Kenya Navy.
During a meeting on October 29, 2024, the committee recommended shifting from the government-funded lunch program to a pay-as-you-eat system.
The committee found that the current lunch program, which is funded by the government, has not been effective in meeting the needs of the KDF.
The transition from the existing exchequer funded lunch program to the pay as you eat pay system is necessitated by the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of the former system.
This move, aimed at improving efficiency and saving taxpayers between Ksh2 billion and Ksh3 billion annually, has sparked mixed reactions among military personnel.
