23 December 2018
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The Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta recently visited the Central Bank of Kenya to unveil a new set of circulation coins which depict animals rather than former leaders of the country.
The new 1, 5, 10 and 20 shilling coins were issued following a 2010 constitution which states that the nation’s currency ‘shall not bear the portrait of any individual’.
The move was prompted by former leader Mwai Kibaki who caused controversy when he broke a promise and included his portrait on a banknote. The bank also conducted a public consultation to ensure the general public were happy with the new designs, which show a giraffe, rhino, lion and elephant, respectively.
During a visit to the national bank, the Kenyan President unveiled the coins stating that the country had ‘come a long way’.
At the event, Dr. Patrick Njoroge, Governor, Central Bank of Kenya, said:
‘The new coins bear a significant aspect of our nation, and therefore will serve as a means of passing knowledge, conserving culture and promoting our global uniqueness. By engraving the selected images in the coinage, an awareness of our country and its characteristics will be revitalised, giving physical expression to a Newly Reborn and Prosperous Kenya.’
The existing circulation coins are currently still valid with a gradual phase-out planned.
