The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) was established in 2010 under the Ministry of Defense. The military force constitutes the Kenya Army, Kenya Navy, and the Kenya Air Force. This article will help you understand the KDF salary rates in 2024.

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KDF is in charge of the defense and protection of Kenya's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Recruitment to the forces is done annually, and eligible candidates are between 26 and 34 years. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission of Kenya (SRC) reviews the Kenya Army salary ranges. The highest KDF payslip reads slightly above Ksh. 1 million.

KDF salary and allowances by rank

Kenya army ranks and salariesare based on the candidates' level of education and years of experience, among other factors. The KDF salaries are evaluated every four years, and SRC did the last review in 2017.

KDF officers enjoy handsome allowances while on peace missions. Those living in the barracks enjoy several benefits for army employees, like buying commodities at half the market price. The table below shows the current KDF ranks and salaries to help those thinking about a military career make informed decisions:

What is a KDF specialist officer's salary?

KDF specialist officers are mostly graduates. They enter the military service with underlying training in various professions. A KDF specialist officer's salary differs from the rest of the officers, depending on the rank and one's specialization.

Kenya Army ranks

Kenya Defense Forces operate in ranks and are highly disciplined. They are in two main groups, Commissioned Officers and Non-commissioned Officers. The KDF Commissioned Officers are above the Non-commissioned Officers.

Commissioned Officers make crucial decisions and plans, while Non-commissioned Officers lead and train troops. These two main Kenya Defense Force ranks are split further into several sub-groups. Promotion is strictly based on merit and not one's service affliction.

KDF Non-commissioned officers (lowest to highest)

They are otherwise referred to as NCOs. These are military officers who have not pursued a commission. They earn their positions of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. Below are their ranks from lowest to highest:

• Private Officer: These are KDF soldiers who have completed their first Phase of military training. They are at the lowest rank of non-commissioned officers.
• Lance Corporal: A KDF Private Officer becomes a Lance Corporal after three years of serving the Private Officer position or passes Phase 2 training. The Lance Corporal manages a team of around four soldiers. The team is called a Section.
• Corporal: It is the third-lowest rank of non-commissioned officers. A KDF soldier attains it after six-eight years of military service, and promotion depends on one's leadership skills. A Corporal manages a bigger number of soldiers than the Lance Corporal. Someone in this position also oversees military equipment like tanks and guns.
• Sergeant: A KDF soldier gets this position after twelve years of good military service. A Sergeant commands a Platoon (35 soldiers) and advises the junior officers.
• Senior Sergeant: There are two types of Senior Sergeant positions; a Staff or Color Sergeant. One gets to either position after working for two years as a Sergeant. A Senior Sergeant commands an Army company (around 120 soldiers).
• Warrant Officer II: A Warrant Officer Class 2 trains, promotes, and disciplines a group of around 120 soldiers. One is also a senior adviser to a Major. A Major commands a sub-unit.
• Warrant Officer I: A KDF soldier attains this position after 18 years of brilliant military service. A Warrant Officer Class 1 commands up to 650 officers and soldiers.

KDF Commissioned officers (lowest to highest)

These administrative KDF soldiers start as cadets and move up the ranks. They train at Kenya Military Academy (KMA) in Lanet, Nakuru County. Below are the ranks of KDF Commissioned Officers from lowest to highest:

• Officer Cadet: This is a rank the officers hold immediately after training in Lanet. They are junior officers among the commissioned officers.
• Second Lieutenant: Officers hold this position after two years of graduation from KMA. They can have the rank for up to three years while undergoing specialized training. You will lead up to 30 soldiers in a troop or platoon in this rank, both in operations and training.
• Lieutenant: Officers attain this rank after serving for three to five years. They will be in the position for three years with an opportunity to gain specialized skills from your unit. Afterward, they will lead up to 30 soldiers in a troop or platoon.
• Captain: Officers who attain this rank must have served for up to six years and will be second in command for up to 120 soldiers in a sub-unit. They are part of decision-making and planning processes with on-ground tactical responsibility for operations, logistic support, maintenance of equipment, and workforce.
• Major: Officers gain promotion to this rank after 8 - 10 years of outstanding service and leadership skills. They get to command a sub-unit of about 120 soldiers and officers. Majors are responsible for their sub-unit's administration, welfare, and training (both in operations and the camps) and for managing their equipment.
• Lieutenant Colonel: Officers command 4 to 5 sub-unit (about 650 soldiers and officers). A Lieutenant Colonel only holds the office for two years.
• Colonel: As a colonel, the officer is not a field commander but the lowest of the staff ranks. The KDF staff will be senior operational advisors to the senior officers and serve as staff officers between brigade or battalion-level field commands.
• Brigadier: As a brigadier, the KDF staff will be a field officer in charge of a brigade or a staff director.
• Major General: A Major General is responsible for divisions and senior staff appointments. They are in charge of promotions in the military and are, at times, referred to as two-star generals. Major Generals can be promoted to service commanders.
• Lieutenant General: Lieutenant General is one of the highest military ranks in Kenya. In this cadre, officers will be in charge of forming sizes for the Corps.
• General: The General is the highest-ranking soldier and the chief of defense forces, while the private is the junior-most rank in the army. The General holds the positions of the Vice Chief of Defense Staff, Chief of Defense Staff, or General Staff. Only one person can be the General at a time.

Kenyan Air Force ranks and salaries

The Republic of Kenya established the Kenyan Air Force on 1 June 1964, immediately after independence, with the UK's assistance. KAF's headquarters is at Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi. It has 152 aircraft, primarily operating from Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki. Others are Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mombasa (Moi International Airport ), FOB Wajir, FOB Mandera, and FOB Nyeri.

Kenyan Air Force Commissioned Officers ranks (lowest to highest)

• Air Marshall
• Air Vice Marshall
• Air Commodore
• Group Captain
• Wing Commander
• Squadron Leader
• Flight Lieutenant
• Flying Officer
• Pilot Officer

Kenyan Air Force Airmen ranks (lowest to highest)

• Warrant Officer Class I
• Warrant Officer Class II
• Flight Sergeant
• Sergeant
• Corporal
• Leading Aircraftman I
• Leading Aircraftman II

Kenya Air Force's salary per month

Below are the current Kenya Air Force salary scales:

Kenyan Navy ranks and salaries

The Republic of Kenya established the Kenyan Navy in 1964. Its headquarters is in Mombasa, with 18 vessels of different classes. The main naval base is in Mtongwe base in Mombasa (it covers Shimoni, Malindi, Msambweni, and Kilifi), and another is in Manda, Lamu.

Kenyan Navy Officer ranks (lowest to highest)

• Midshipman
• Sub-Lieutenant
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander
• Captain
• Commodore
• Rear-Admiral
• Vice-Admiral
• Admiral

Kenyan Navy salary

Below are the Kenyan Navy salary scales:

How much does KDF earn per month?

According to KDF's salary scale, a training cadet's Kenyan salary is around Ksh. 7,172 monthly. This is the lowest KDF rank. The Chief of Defense Forces' salary is about Ksh. 1,120,000 per month is the highest-paid military officer in the KDF rank.

What are the military ranks in order?

Below are the military ranks in Kenya from lowest to highest:

• 2 Brigade
• 4 Brigade
• 6 Brigade
• 8 Brigade
• Ranger Brigade
• Kenyan Army Artillery Brigade
• Kenyan Army Armored Brigade
• Kenyan Army Engineers Brigade
• Kenyan Army Corp of Signals Brigade
• Kenya Army Ordnance Corps
• Kenya Army Corps of Transport (KACT)
• Kenya Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (KACEME)
• Military Police Corps (MPC)
• Kenya Army Medical Corps
• Kenya Army Corps of Education (KACE)
• Defence Forces Constabulary (DFC)

How much is the KDF salary?

A KDF's salary depends on rank, and one moves up the rank depending on the length of military service. A cadet in training (the lowest ranking officer) earns Ksh. 7,172. The salary increases when one completes training. The monthly salary of a Lieutenant General is Ksh. 632,984 to Ksh. 800,000, while the Chief of Defense Forces gets Ksh. 894,897 to Ksh. 1.2 million. These are the top two highest ranks in KDF.

How long is KDF training?

The requirements and length of the training period differ for each service. The training period for specialist officers is six months. Nonetheless, the basic combat training is within the first ten weeks of the basic training period for all the forces.

What are the military ranks from highest to lowest?

Below are the military ranks in Kenya from highest to lowest:

• Defence Forces Constabulary (DFC)
• Kenya Army Corps of Education (KACE)
• Kenya Army Medical Corps
• Military Police Corps (MPC)
• Kenya Army Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (KACEME)
• Kenya Army Corps of Transport (KACT)
• Kenya Army Ordnance Corps
• Kenyan Army Corp of Signals Brigade
• Kenyan Army Engineers Brigade
• Kenyan Army Armored Brigade
• Kenyan Army Artillery Brigade
• Ranger Brigade
• 8 Brigade
• 6 Brigade
• 4 Brigade
• 2 Brigade

How much are KDF soldiers paid?

A recruit who is still undergoing training is the lowest earner in KDF. They earn KShs 7,172. The Chief of Defense Forces is the highest-ranking military officer. The person makes around Ksh 1.2 million.

What is the average KDF salary in Kenya?

KDF salary in Kenya ranges from Ksh. 7,172 to Ksh. 1.2 million.

What is the Lieutenant Colonel's salary in Kenya?

A Lieutenant Colonel earns Ksh. 130,735 to Ksh. 180,000 per month in Kenya.

What is a Warrant Officer 2's salary in Kenya?

The Kenyan Army's Warrant Officer 2 gets around Ksh. 100,000 per month.

What is a Brigadier's salary in Kenya?

A Brigadier's salary in Kenya falls between Ksh. 130,735 and Ksh. 150,000. A Brigadier is below the Colonel and above the Lieutenant Colonel. A Lieutenant Colonel makes Ksh. 130,735 to Ksh. 180,000, and a Colonel earns Ksh. 153,317 to Ksh. 300,000.

Do KDF pay tax?

Kenya's military officers are not exempt from paying taxes, but most allowances are not taxed. They are only exempted from paying excise duty.

What is the Kenya Air Force's salary per month?

The highest in rank, the Chief of Defence Forces earns Ksh. 1,120,000 monthly, while the lowest in rank, the Leading Aircraftman, gets Ksh. 19,941 per month.

How much does a Kenyan military earn?

The Kenyan military officers earn from Ksh. 7,172 to Ksh. 1.2 million. A Kenyan military's salary depends on their ranking. The higher the ranking, the higher the pay. The length of service and merit determine the ranking.

How much does a KDF driver earn?

A KDF driver earns Ksh. 14,610 to 16,250 plus Ksh. 3,000 commuter allowance and Ksh. 4,000 leave allowance. The drivers and cooks earn the same salary and allowances.

What is the highest rank in KDF?

The Chief of Defense Forces is the highest rank in the Kenyan military.

KDF salary is a widely discussed topic in the country. The military continues to recruit more youth, and the government believes it pays its KDF officers handsomely in all ranks. However, the public believes the military deserves regular salary increments to protect the country.

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Source: TUKO.co.ke

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