An Assessment of the Psychosocial and Economic Impacts of Operation Linda Nchi on Kdf Soldiers and Their Families

Abstract

Since Operation Linda Nchi started, the war has claimed several lives, especially some Kenyan soldiers deployed in Somalia. Some Kenya Defense Forces soldiers have been left paralyzed, while others still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders. Some returnees have found it difficult to integrate into society on return, while some feel abandoned by the state after such fierce combat. In all the cases, the families of these soldiers seem to be suffering both psychosocially and economically. There is evidence that, upon return, the soldiers tend to suffer more than deployment. Some of the family members also end up spending huge sums of money to treat their beloved ones. Therefore, this study arose against this backdrop to explore the psychosocial and economic impacts of Operation Linda Nchi on KDF soldiers and their families. Specifically, the study assessed the challenges facing soldiers’ families before, during, and after the operation, the economic effects of Operation Linda Nchi on soldiers’ families, and the psychosocial effects of Operation Linda Nchi on soldiers’ families. The study was guided by Abraham Maslow’s need theory, which attempts to interrogate the human being’s needs and ways in which he or she tries to achieve these needs. The study employed qualitative and quantitative techniques to collect data in the military, ex-soldiers, soldiers' families, war journalists, foreign policy practice, and technology. Desk research was also embraced where in-depth interviews were used for qualitative information. The study used 60 respondents as the sample size where key informant interviews; group discussion based on quantitative research technique; in-depth interviews based on the qualitative research method; government, non-government, and other research institutions records; and, library research was conducted. From the results and responses of the respondents, it emerged that military families were the first casualties when it comes to matters of conflict. It was concluded that the challenges experienced because of this war were such as lack of regular communication, separation from families, and education of their children. They also received many other benefits, for example, subsidized health care, tuition assistance, and housing allowances. It was also concluded that isolation was experienced among the soldier’s families in the deployment cycle, which resulted in high rates of depression among the spouses, marital strain, PTSD. From these findings, it was recommended that the service providers and policy informers must comprehend the social setting and the requirements of soldiers’ spouses and their children to improve the military’s programs and soldiers’ families. Further, effort needs to be made towards providing counseling services to permit both the military officer and his family to access the respective services with convenience and confidentiality. Also, there is a necessity to stabilize bereaved families before compensation money is received and to transition from a military family to a civilian one. Moreover, the responsibility of taking care of those left behind, particularly the children, should be taken over by the society that the soldier was protecting. As a way of expressing gratitude for the sacrifices made, the responsibility to educate children whose fathers died while defending the nation should be taken over by the state at public expense as is the practice in other advanced militaries; that KDF adopts a one-for-one policy whereby a sibling or any other close relative to the deceased soldier is recruited into the military so that there is continued financial support, enhanced hope, and reduced stress to the families. Such a policy would portray KDF as an empathetic organization and appreciate the sacrifices made by its members. Finally, KDF needs to develop well-researched intervention programs for military children to promote the military family's general well-being.