Kenyans in remote areas will get a chance to learn about the features of the recently unveiled new currency.
The initiative by Jamii Bora Bank starts today and is expected to run for the whole week.
The bank's CEO Timothy Kabiru said the move is important in the wake of news that fake currency is already in circulation.
The target is especially among the pastoralist communities of Samburu, Rumuruti and Narok who according to the CEO have been cut off from the banking infrastructure.
The Central Bank of Kenya unveiled new banknotes during the 56th Madaraka Day celebration held in Narok county on June 1.
“We have a specially focused week where we share with customers on different themes. This time we are focusing on the new currency,” Kabiru said.
CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge said the new notes have designs that meets the CBK requirements, serve the public aspirations and capture the spirit of the constitution.
The images on the back of the banknotes symbolise green energy, agriculture, social services, tourism, and governance.
“We have customers in all those sectors both in the branch and outside. Most of the pastoralists conduct their transactions in cash so we will go in the communities and help them.”
The CEO noted that the customer base ranges from very small micro businesses all the way to medium and large.
“It is the SMEs that perhaps need us to go and educate them because they already have customers coming with new notes and they need to be able to distinguish between potentially fake notes and genuine ones,” Kabiru noted.
The bank will extent reach out through agents and people who will go around the ground, to ensure they not only get enlightened but can can also be served on the ground in terms of exchanging the notes they have.
Kabiru admitted they were receiving too many questions from customers about the new currency ranging.
“Some questions are from things as simple as what are the features and it means after September 30 deadline. It is an opportunity for us to educate our customers so that they get to know these features and how to potentially get to exchange the currency that they have.”
He noted the banking industry had been well prepared by the regulator and the currency made available.
The CEO lauded the CBK for doing an excellent job in terms of having a lot of publicity and educating the general public quite effectively since the launch of the new notes.
