Need Urgent Advice exchanging Kenya Shillings

[Cartmanizm]

I got back from Kenya a few months ago and have KES 16,500 left over (around AUD $235 worth). I recently found out that Kenya is retiring the current 1,000 shilling note (in which I have 16 of them) on Oct 1, 2019, and it will expire worthless unless converted to the new note at a Kenyan bank prior to this date.

I've tried exchanging it at the major currency exchange places in Melbourne, however none of them will accept the 1,000 shilling note that is about to be retired and the fx wholesalers have stopped accepting them. Is anybody traveling back to Kenya in the next month or does anybody know where I can exchange this money?

Link to article on retiring of note:

Kenya to retire old 1,000 shilling banknote to stem illicit flows

Kenya plans to withdraw an old version of its 1,000 shilling ($9.88) banknote to tackle illicit financial flows and counterfeiting, its central bank governor said on Saturday.

www.reuters.com

 

[Mattg]

I can't help, sorry, but just wanted to say welcome to posting on AFF and good luck!

 

[exceladdict]

Can you contact the Kenyan embassy? I know it's a long shot but worth asking. There could be a staff member there willing to swap some old for new?

 

[Cartmanizm]

I can't help, sorry, but just wanted to say welcome to posting on AFF and good luck!

Thank you , I broke my 7 year lurk streak on this post!

Can you contact the Kenyan embassy? I know it's a long shot but worth asking. There could be a staff member there willing to swap some old for new?

Their HQ is in ACT, and I don't believe they have an office in Melbourne. I will call them on Monday, although I don't have high hopes there.

I thought about mailing it back to a friend in Kenya, but they will probably charge me an extortion fee to release the package or it might disappear in the mailing system altogether! If it manages to reach my friend then I also lose everything .

I had previously sent around $275 worth of vitamins into Kenya when I was there, and DHL charged 80% in "importation fees" or $220 in addition to freight charges to clear the package.