This archive report was first published on 31 August 2019.
Kenya is in the process of withdrawing its old Sh1,000 notes, which will be replaced by new ones. The Central Bank of Kenya has announced that the old notes will be shredded and burned into ashes in Nairobi's Kariobangi area.
According to the Central Bank, the old notes will be collected from the public and transported to the CBK headquarters in Nairobi, where they will be verified and stored in a deoxygenated room under strict supervision.
Once verified, the notes will be cut into finer shreds and packed in sacks before being transported to Kariobangi North, where they will be burned in the open under the watch of armed police officers.
The Central Bank has also announced that the percentage of Sh1,000 notes exchanged will be announced on the last day of the exchange period.
Members of the public who wish to change the old notes can visit the CBK's head office on Nairobi's Haile Selassie Avenue or any of its branches in Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Meru, Nakuru, and Nyeri.
President Uhuru Kenyatta launched the new currencies during the 56th Madaraka Day celebrations in Narok on June 1 this year. The currency change comes as required by the new constitution, which states that notes and coins issued by the Central Bank of Kenya may bear images that depict or symbolize Kenya, but shall not bear the image of an individual.
Activist Okiya Omtata has filed a petition in court challenging the inclusion of the founding President's image on one of the notes, saying it violates the Constitution.
Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge has insisted that the deadline for the withdrawal of the old Sh1,000 notes will not be extended, saying that any extension would defeat the purpose of the demonetization.
