Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers will have to start paying for their own meals from July 1, after the government scrapped the long-running lunch subsidy.
The Ministry of Defence has introduced a Pay-As-You-Eat system, ending the exchequer-funded meal program that many junior officers had come to rely on.
The move has raised concerns in the ranks, with some calling it ill-timed given the high cost of living.
The ministry, in a memo to all camps, justified the decision by stating that the action was meant to make spending rational and cut wastage.
Authorities argued that the previous arrangement was inefficient and outdated, leading to long queues and redundant rations whenever officers were redeployed between bases.
The ministry insists the change isn’t about taking away benefits, but about modernising the system and aligning with global military standards.
Camps have been told to get their mess halls ready for the switch, with additional upgrades to be handled gradually in the next financial year.
The scrapping of the subsidy is part of a wider cost-cutting drive across government, as the Treasury looks to plug the budget deficit and rein in public debt.
