The directive by Central Bank of Kenya to phase out old ksh 1000 notes in attempts to root out graft, is still receiving a lot of reactions from Kenyans.
Pillow Bankers who keep huge amounts of money are now struggling to beat the deadline of 1st October as stipulated by CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge.
But from the look of things, the Central Bank of Kenya has not yet rolled out the new currency.
Dennis Itumbi, former state house director of digital communication, has come out to reveal the scarcity of the new currency.
Dennis Itumbi has outcried that he visited Equity Bank of Kenya and he was not able to change the old notes into new ones.
Dear @CBKKenya just from Equity Bank and the message is that the new currency is not yet distributed. I just wanted to change a few old notes to the new look ones. When do we expect the new currency in the banks? @wgkantai
— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) June 4, 2019
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale was the first one to raise this question of the scarcity of new notes in the banks as he visited the co-operative bank of Kenya and failed to receive new currency.
Am at the Kakamega branch of Cooperative Bank of Kenya. They have just paid me in the 1000 shilling denomination that Kenyans were ordered to surrender! CBK must stop this contradictions! Otherwise revert to the international best practices of currency replacement
— Dr Boni Khalwale, CBS (@KBonimtetezi) June 3, 2019
This exposes the loop hole in the CBK as even more political leaders continue to push for the review of the phase out date of ksh.1000 notes
ODM in a press meeting stated that the date for the demonetization of ksh.1000 should be moved from 1st August from the earlier stated date of 1st October.
ODM Chairman John Mbadi wants the October 1st deadline for the withdrawal of the old generation 1,000 shilling notes in favour of the new ones moved closer to August 1st, in order to deny room to people handling illicit money to clean the bills. #NTVAtOne @OBurrows pic.twitter.com/krq9hIiQl9
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) June 4, 2019
This echoes what Team tangatanga said during the weekend.