Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Duale has disclosed the compensation amount of money given to the families of KDF soldiers who have lost their lives in battle.
In his address to Senators, Duale explained that the specific amounts provided to the families depended on the location where the soldier was serving, whether it was within Kenya or abroad.
Aden Duale added that the families of the fallen soldiers receive their financial support within a maximum of 30 days after the loss of their loved ones. The CS disclosed the information generally considered to be confidential.
He clarified that families of KDF officers who sadly passed away while serving within Kenya receive a payment of Sh. 4 million. In contrast, those officers who are involved in peace missions outside Kenyan territory receive an additional Sh. 7.4 million.
This amount is inclusive of the officer’s pension money. In total, families of officers who die in the line of duty can receive up to Sh. 11.4 million, depending on where they served.
“There is nothing to hide so I will say what we give immediately within 30 days. If the officer is serving within our country immediately he gets Sh. 4 million above his pension which has a component called death gratuity,” the CS clarified.
“But if he is serving in ATMIS in Somalia, apart from the Sh. 4 million, the AU and UN give that family Sh. 7, 440,000 ($50,000),” he added.
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Furthermore, the families of the deceased soldiers will receive additional support specifically aimed at assisting widows, widowers, orphans, dependents, and individuals with disabilities.
This support may take the form of counselling and psychological assistance to help these families cope with the grief and challenges stemming from their loss.
KDF officers who make the sacrifice while on duty are honoured through memorials and receive a heartfelt farewell from the military service.
“Every individual who loses their life in service is honoured and accorded military burial rites, memorial services conducted and medals of honour bestowed posthumously, as applicable,” Duale stated.
