Former Malawi Defence Force (MDF) commander General Henry Odillo (Retired) has lamented the poor living conditions of war veterans in the country, saying their situation “leaves a lot to be desired”.
He made the remarks on Monday at President Peter Mutharika’s Page House in Mangochi during the official launch of the 2025 Poppy Flower Week.
The ceremony was attended by some surviving world war veterans alongside officers of the MDF led by newly-appointed Commander General George Jaffu.
Odillo, who is also chairperson of Veterans and Ex-service League of Malawi (Velom) said many of the veterans who once risked their lives for the sake of others are now living in deep poverty.
“These people sacrificed a lot. They took a great risk to fight for others in fierce battles. But look at those who are still alive today — their living conditions have greatly deteriorated,” he said.
Odillo said Velom was established to promote the welfare of war veterans, adding that the organisation feels disheartened to see those who once served with honour now struggling to survive.
He appealed to the President to treat the launch not merely as a ceremonial event, but as a time for reflection and renewed commitment to addressing the needs of the veterans.
In his remarks, Mutharika acknowledged the challenges faced by the veterans, saying his administration is committed to improving their welfare.
He said his previous administration between 2014 and 2020 had developed plans to support the veterans, but failed to implement them after being voted out.
Said Mutharika: “We already had plans, but we failed to implement them because we were out of government. Now that we are back, we intend to revive those plans and introduce interventions such as renovating their houses and providing loans to their family members to improve their livelihoods,” he said.
The President appealed to Malawians to support Poppy Week by purchasing the flowers, saying the act symbolises gratitude for the veterans’ ultimate sacrifice.
To demonstrate his commitment, Mutharika purchased the first poppy at K5 million to kick-start the K300 million fundraising target for this year’s campaign.
