Dr. Kinity Demands Minimum Kshs. 50,000 Salary for Kenyan Soldiers, Calls Current Pay ‘A National Disgrace
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presser, Kenyan Military personel
Kenya’s armed forces, the backbone of national security, are among the lowest-paid military personnel in East Africa.
According to Dr. Isaac Newton Kinity, a human rights advocate and former Secretary-General of the Kenya Civil Servants Union, the treatment of Kenyan soldiers is not only unjust but also a national disgrace.
He is calling for a minimum salary of Kshs. 50,000 ($500) per month for every uniformed soldier in the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), arguing that their current wages are an insult to their service and sacrifices.
Dr. Kinity highlights that the lowest-paid Kenyan soldier earns a mere Kshs. 7,172 ($55) per month—an amount that barely covers basic survival needs.
This figure is significantly lower than what their counterparts in neighboring countries earn.
Tanzanian army officers have a minimum salary of Tsh. 1,050,050 ($413), while Burundian soldiers receive 528,925 BIF ($178), and Rwandan soldiers earn at least 237,017 RWF ($170).
“The Kenya Army has been neglected by successive governments, Parliament, and trade unions,” Dr. Kinity laments.
“How can a country that prides itself as an economic powerhouse in East Africa justify paying its soldiers less than those in Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda? If our currency is supposedly more stable, why are we treating our armed forces worse than our neighbors?”
The wage disparity is even more glaring when compared to the Kenya Police Service. A police officer in Kenya earns a minimum of Kshs.
25,645 ($201) per month—over three times more than the lowest-paid KDF soldier.
Yet, soldiers are tasked with critical defense duties, including international peacekeeping missions, counterterrorism operations, and disaster response.
Dr. Kinity questions why the government claims to lack funds for better military salaries when Members of Parliament and Senators are among the highest-paid legislators in the world.
A 2013 Business Daily Africa report ranked Kenyan lawmakers as the second-highest paid globally, with hefty salaries and allowances.
On top of that, MPs and Senators receive sitting allowances for attending parliamentary debates.
“The same government crying about lack of funds is the one enabling lawmakers to buy helicopters for personal travel,” Dr. Kinity points out, referencing a July 2024 Reuters report on MPs’ extravagant spending. “We have MPs wearing wristwatches worth Kshs. 17 million ($170,000), yet soldiers who risk their lives for the country can barely afford a decent meal.”
The push for a salary increment comes at a time when the cost of living in Kenya is at an all-time high.
With rising inflation, skyrocketing food prices, and high taxation, Dr. Kinity insists that KDF personnel deserve better.
“The government must act now,” he asserts. “Paying soldiers Kshs. 7,172 per month is not just unfair, it is criminal. A minimum salary of Kshs. 50,000 is the least we can do to honor those who protect our nation.”
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