The US Embassy in the country has advised Visa applicants to consider using the old notes as the Embassy is not accepting Kenya’s new generation notes.
The Government introduced a new currency in its bid to tackle illicit financial flows, nabbing tax evaders and tackling counterfeits in the country.
The currency released on 1st June has however received a significant challenge from several sectors. As the new notes are smaller in size and with added features, the banks are yet to configure the ATMs, and also purchase new money counting machines able to verify the new currency capturing any counterfeits.
Despite the country having started to replace the old notes, the Embassy has not given a time frame on when they will start accepting the new currency.
“The Government of Kenya has introduced new currency with plans for withdrawing all old currency from circulation by October 1, 2019. We are currently developing procedures to accept the new Kenyan shillings,” the Embassy said on its Twitter handle.
“Until these procedures are in place, consular applicants will only be able to pay for services using the previous Kenyan shillings. You may also continue to pay by credit card.”
The Embassy has not yet disclosed on the acceptance procedures that they might be working on.
Uganda and Tanzania, on the other hand, stopped the use of the Kenyan currency as it fights to curb laundering the stolen money back into Kenya.
