Kenya’s apex bank governor says weak Kenyan Shilling not linked to banknote plan

The bank announced on June 1 that it will retire the old version of its biggest legal tender in four months time
Share the Story

Kenya’s central bank governor, Patrick Njoroge says that he is not concerned by this month’s drop in the shilling’s value explaining that the weakness is not linked to plans around the old 1,000 shilling note.

The bank announced on June 1 that it will retire the old version of its biggest legal tender in four months time, as part of a push to fight illicit financial flows, money laundering and counterfeiting.

Related: To tackle financial crime, Kenya is withdrawing its old 1,000 shilling version

Advertisement

Since then, the currency has lost a percentage point to touch an intra-day low of 102.00 per dollar on Monday, before paring back some of the losses to trade at 101.65/85 on Thursday.

Some traders attributed the move to people with big stockpiles of old 1,000 shilling notes converting them into hard currency on the commercial market before they become worthless on the October 1 deadline.

Anyone wanting to exchange large numbers of the old notes for new Kenyan shilling bills has to prove its source. The main reason for the planned action is to cut down on graft and capital flight.

Kenya is favoured by foreign investors mainly due to its diverse, fast-growing economy.

Author

  • Toyibat Ajose

    Toyibat is a highly motivated Mass Communication major and results-oriented professional with a robust foundation in media, education, and communication. Leveraging years of hands-on experience in journalism, she has honed her ability to craft compelling narratives, conduct thorough research, and deliver accurate and engaging content that resonates with diverse audiences.

Share the Story
Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement