Man busted with fake currency worth Ksh.200M in Kileleshwa due in court

A man who was discovered with fake currencies worth Ksh.200 million in Kileleshwa, Nairobi is set to be arraigned in court on Friday.

According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Bobby Kariuki was found with fake U.S. dollars, Euros and Pounds.

Police arrested the 27-year-old on Thursday following a tip-off on Thursday.

On the same day, police arrested a Nigerian and Congolese national in Matuu after they were found in possession of forged Kenyan currency.

They were detained for four days to allow investigators enough time to search their homes in Nairobi.

Being in possession of fake currency is in contravention of Section 367 (a) of the Penal Code.

It attracts a jail term of seven years.

Police have intensified the crackdown on fake money syndicates after the Central Bank of Kenya directive on demonetisation.

CBK is currently on a public awareness campaign to educate Kenyans how to identify fake currency.

CBK Governor Patrick Njoroge urged Kenyans to be wary of fake notes by observing and learning the newly issued currency.

“Kenyans need to know how to tell from the fake notes and the’re many features that can help them know,” he said during a workshop in Ukunda last month.

Popular features on the new Kenyan currency notes include distinct colours for each denomination and touch-bars on the side.

These features enable the visually-impaired to identify each note.

“To identify a genuine bank note; feel, look and tilt it. If you run your fingers over the note, you will feel the raised print on Kenya and also on the value,” reads a promo video from CBK.

“For the visually impaired persons, run your fingers over the edge of the note and feel the one bar for Ksh.50, two bars for Ksh.100, three bars for Ksh.200, four bars for Ksh.500 and five bars for Ksh.1000 notes.”

If you hold up the note to the light, a watermark of a lion’s head, the text CBK and the value of the bank note will appear.

“The notes will also have a security thread which will appear as a continuous line,” says CBK.

“If you tilt at an angle, the thread changes colour from red to green on all the bank notes but for the Ksh.200, Ksh.500 and Ksh.1000, a rainbow colour appears on the thread when tilted. If you tilt the back of the note at an angle, you will see a golden band showing the value.”

When it comes to imagery, all bank notes will bear each of Kenya’s Big Five (Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and Buffalo) as well as the image of Kenyatta International Convention Center.