Siaya Man Stuck With 500,000 Shillings Worth Of Old 1000 Notes

It has been 18 days since the old 1000 shilling notes were phased out, just as it had been announced by the Central bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge on 1^st June when he first unveiled the new currency notes.

Kenyans had four months to ensure that they exchange their notes, specifically the 1000 shilling notes as it was the one that would cease to be a legal tender by 1^st October.

However, one retired Julius Mboga from Sirondho village in Gem, in Siaya County must not have heard or known about the demonetization as he still has 500,000 shillings worth of the old 1000 notes.

His family now pleads with the CBK Governor to help the 60-year-old former mechanic to exchange the money, 18 days after the deadline.

According to Mr. Mboga’s brother, Joseph Ouko, his brother had formerly been a mechanic at Brook Bond Kenya Limited in Limuru and had received his retirement dues which amounted to 1.5 million shillings in January 2019.

Mr. Ouko pleaded with Governor Patrick Njoroge to allow his brother to exchange his old notes with the new ones as he (Mboga) also could be mentally unwell.

“My brother had just received his retirement benefits and to add on that, he was involved in a motorbike accident which we suspect must have tempered with his mental state causing him to forget the deadline,” said Ouko.

Mr. Mboga was said to have banked his retirement package which he used to pay his children’s school fees and to fend for his family alongside his small scale poultry keeping before he suddenly started withdrawing the money.

Mboga’s brother, Ouko, says that he has all the reasons to believe that his brother is mentally unwell, as apart from withdrawing the money, he (Mboga) could not allow his family members inside his house and only talked to them through the window when they came to beg him to exchange his money.

Mboga’s case may not be the only one. Soon after the deadline, 2000 pastoralists were heard pleading with the CBK to allow them to exchange their old notes as they had failed to beat the deadline.

CBK Governor had however made it clear that he would not extend the exchanging deadline.