President Uhuru Kenyatta has today signed into law the Military Veterans Bill, 2022.

The Act, which establishes a regulatory and institutional framework for the management of military veterans’ affairs, provides for the benefits to military veterans and their dependants including the establishment of the Dependants’ Education Fund by the Defence Council.

The Fund will provide scholarships for education of the children of deceased military veterans. The Act further makes provisions for the Defence Council to prescribe regulations for the administration of the Fund including the procedure for processing applications for scholarships.

Advisory committee on military veterans

The new law 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 dependants.

Under the Act, the powers of the Defence Council include developing a policy on military veterans as well as considering proposals by the Cabinet Secretary, the Chief of Defence Forces or the Director of Military Veterans regarding the policy on funding and budgeting in connection with the military veterans’ affairs

Present were Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Robert Kibochi, service commanders, representatives of the military veterans and Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto among others.