Quote:
Originally Posted by RandyRandy
A newly-commissioned Kenyan soldier makes 130,000 Kenyan shillings per month, which at today's rate of exchange is $1,500.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_d...t_earn_monthly
That's way more than $5 a day - in fact it's more than a lot of Americans make, albeit being a Kenyan soldier does have it's drawbacks.
My point, lost on all of the gregarious souls posting here, was that I EXPECTED LOOTING. Many human beings, African and otherwise, have larceny in their hearts, especially when no one is looking.
What shocked me wasn't the looting, but that the military would prolong the siege by DAYS in order to have more time to ransack the place. Especially while the whole world was watching. That's way different than a crime of opportunity. That's CREATING the opportunity. |
That is an officers salary - non-coms (the bulk) make $172 a month. There is a hierarchy in Kenyan military that sees major generals make 272k/sh a month but most soldiers don't get anywhere near that.
I don't think anyone was prepared for that siege, and the deliberate lengthening would seem to be an unconfirmed rumor. But yes, soldiers in the theatre often commit abuses. Not just Kenyan soldiers.