NAIROBI, Kenya July 29- The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has denied claims of a shortage of small-denomination notes in the country.
Speaking Thursday during a Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) press briefing, CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge said that the bank has more than enough stock of the notes.
Njoroge noted that he had not received any reports on the inadequacy of the said notes.
“I do not know about this question on small notes. I do not know where this story is coming from,” he said.
The CBK Boss acknowledged that in July they supplied banks with 2.1 billion of Sh 100 notes as per the demand.
“We supply notes as demanded by banks. For instance, in the month of July, we supplied the equivalent of 2.1 billion of Sh100 notes,” he said.
CBK reiterated that it is their duty to ensure that there is a constant supply of notes as needed of the legal tender for the sake of the economy.
This statement comes after Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi on Wednesday claimed that banks are facing a shortage of small-denomination notes of Sh 100 and Sh 200 due to voter-bribery by politicians vying for seats in the August 9 polls.
“All of you Kenyans who have been moving around the villages you have seen people who are carrying money in bags lining up citizens giving them Sh200 bobs. The bankers in the room, you understand now you have a shortage of Sh 200 and Sh 100 notes in your bank because people are bribing villagers,” Matiangi had said.
Matiangi further expressed concern about what will come of the next government, noting that 40 per cent of the politicians who will be elected on August 9 are active players in money laundering and trafficking.
