• Governor says people will be seen spending money on expensive things to clean it
• He urged security to track big donations or huge amounts being banked
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has lauded President Uhuru Kenyatta for introducing new notes.
Mutua said the new currency was introduced because of the belief that there is a lot of stolen money hidden by individuals in their houses and other places.
“I thank President Uhuru Kenyatta for the great move of introducing new notes, especially the thousand shilling note. It was introduced because we have a belief as Kenyans that there is a lot of stolen money, big cash that is being hidden in basements and other places,” Mutua said.
Speaking in Machakos on Sunday, he said there is hope that with the new presidential order, the stolen money will "now come out".
“The thieves will be seen because they now have to bank the money or clean it and we will have to track them. But moreso, it allows for the money to be poured into the market."
The county chief said Kenyans will see a lot of expenses, people buying vehicles, among other things hence lots of money will be in circulation unlike before the President announced new currency.
“I am urging Uhuru to track the money given as donations. Money being given to different places, being banked so that we know where the money is coming from,” he said.
The governor said stolen money needs to get back to the public, adding that not everyone banks their money.
He cited farmers and businesspeople who prefer to keep their cash.
It is not right to make it difficult for such people who are holding their legally acquired cash to be able to bank their money or to convert them to the new notes, he said.
“We need to make it easier for everyone to transition to the new notes. It must be noted that not everyone who has cash is a criminal, but the ones who have money but cannot account for it need to tell us where they got it from."
(Edited by R.Wamochie)