Our Soldiers Are Starving’: Dr. Kinity Pleads with U.S. Labor Movement to Rescue Underpaid KDF Troop
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Photo College of Newton Knitty in a recentpresser, Kenyan Military personel
Dr Isaac Newton Kinity, a Kenyan-born human rights advocate now based in the United States, has written a passionate letter to Ms Liz Shuler, the President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), appealing for her intervention in what he describes as the systemic mistreatment of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel.
In his letter dated June 20, 2025 and dispatched from Hamden, Connecticut, Dr Kinity paints a grim picture of life within the ranks of Kenya’s military, lamenting that soldiers who serve the nation with bravery and loyalty are among the most poorly paid individuals in the country.
He describes their situation as desperate, arguing that KDF officers are paid less than construction laborers, car washers, and watchmen.
According to the letter, a new KDF recruit earns a monthly salary of KSh 7,172, which amounts to about 55 US dollars. Dr Kinity writes, “This is just too minimal to sustain one person leave alone someone with a family.”
Despite their sacrifice, discipline, and the risk of death while on missions including in Somalia where they battle Al-Shabaab militants, many KDF officers live in quiet desperation, struggling to make ends meet while their families go hungry back home.
The letter is a plea for international labor solidarity. Dr Kinity calls on Ms Shuler to use her influence as head of the United States’ largest federation of labor unions to raise global awareness about the suffering of Kenyan soldiers.
He recalls a similar moment in 2002 when a letter by then AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to President Daniel arap Moi helped restore union representation for Kenya’s civil servants.
Dr Kinity writes, “That one letter from Mr John Sweeney necessitated the withdrawal of the decree that had invalidated the union. I am optimistic that with your intervention the KDF women and men in uniform who are suffering desperately with no help on sight will certainly get to see the light of day.”
The letter includes a detailed breakdown of KDF salaries. According to Dr Kinity, while a private earns between KSh 19,941 and 30,000 per month, a Lieutenant General may earn up to KSh 800,000.
He points out the stark inequality, noting that “a watchman in Kenya is paid more than KSh 10,000 per month, and a construction laborer is paid KSh 600 per day which totals about KSh 30,000 per month.”
He adds that the minimum monthly salary needed for a KDF officer to meet their family’s basic needs is KSh 50,000.
To underline the depth of the issue, Dr Kinity compares Kenya’s military wages to those of its neighbors.
He says Tanzanian soldiers earn about 413 dollars per month, while Burundian and Rwandan soldiers earn 173 and 170 dollars respectively.
He observes, “Tanzania pays its army eight times what Kenya pays its army. Burundi and Rwanda pay more than three times what Kenya pays.”
He expresses particular concern about the recent removal of lunch subsidies for soldiers in barracks.
“The Kenya Army officers are not only starving at the barracks where they are being fed with substandard meals with no lunches at all but their wives and children live like beggars,” he says.
He links this policy shift directly to the current government, accusing President William Ruto’s administration of taking away even the bare minimum provisions previously available.
Beyond the economic concerns, Dr Kinity uses the letter to deliver a powerful critique of Kenya’s leadership across decades.
He refers to the presidencies of Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta, and William Ruto as cycles of recycled leadership that begin with public jubilation but end in betrayal and suffering.
“When will the recycled corrupt leaders ever end corruption and save Kenyans from the continued suffering and agony?” he asks.
He adds, “There has not been any recycled leader in Kenya who has ever positively changed the lives of Kenyans but instead, suffering and agony has always increased.”
According to him, the Kenyan leadership culture has produced a system where government is no longer about service but about extraction and survival.
He writes, “The past regimes in Kenya were faculties and training centers on how best to loot public funds undetected, how best to grab public land undetected, and how to carry out extra judicial killings with impunity.”
The letter, while addressed primarily to Ms Shuler, is copied to the Clerk of the National Assembly and Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU). Dr Kinity laments the silence of local institutions.
“The umbrella organization of all trade unions in Kenya and the Parliament have neglected the army. The Central Organization of Trade Unions in Kenya is in bed with the Executive and cannot help,” he states.
His frustration is evident as he recounts multiple efforts to reach out to leaders and the press in Kenya to no avail.
He includes links to articles published on Nakuru Times, Nyanza Review and other platforms where his earlier appeals were shared. But still, he says, there has been no response from the authorities.
With a knack for captivating storytelling, Amos Lumbasi has a talent for crafting narratives that resonate with readers. He combines meticulous research with a captivating writing style to create articles that are both informative and enjoyable to read.
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