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The shilling (; abbreviation: KSh; ISO code: KES) is the currency of Kenya. It is divided into 100 cents. The Central Bank of Kenya Act cap 491, mandated the printing and minting of the Kenyan shilling currency.
This pattern was modelled on Pound sterling's pre-decimal notation, in which amounts were written in some combination of pounds (£), shillings (s), and pence (d, for denarius). In that notation, amounts under a pound were notated only in shillings and pence.
Between 1967 and 1978, the portrait of Jomo Kenyatta, the first president of Kenya, originally appeared on the obverse of all of independent Kenya's coins. In 1980, a portrait of Daniel arap Moi replaced Kenyatta until 2005, when the central bank introduced a new coin series that restored the portrait of Kenyatta. The coins are and 1/= in stainless steel and bi-metallic coins of 5/=, 10/= and 20/=. A bi-metallic 40/= coin with the portrait of then-President Mwai Kibaki was issued in 2003 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Kenyan independence (1963).
New coins with the image of Kenyatta were issued in 2005. In 2010, Section 231(4) of the 2010 Constitution of Kenya stated "Notes and coins issued by the Central Bank of Kenya may bear images that depict or symbolise Kenya or an aspect of Kenya but may not bear the portrait of any individual." New banknotes and coins were scheduled to be released by 2018 to meet up with this new law. The Constitution of Kenya of 2010; Section 231(4) on the Central Bank of Kenya World Intellectual Property Organization (www.wipo.int). Retrieved 2013-09-27. A new series of coins was issued on 11 December 2018, in denominations of , , and . All of the coins depict the national Coat of arms of Kenya on the obverse and images of Africa's recognisable animals on the reverse. Kenya: New circulation coin series introduced by president , Coin Update (news.coinupdate.com). 27 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-28. The new series of coins is designed to be more recognisable for visually impaired people.
| Nickel-plated steel | Giraffe; denomination in English and Swahili | |
| Bi-metallic coin (Brass-plated steel center plug with a Nickel-plated steel outer ring) | Rhinoceros; denomination in English and Swahili | |
| Bi-metallic coin (Nickel-plated steel center plug with a Brass-plated steel outer ring) | Lion; denomination in English and Swahili | |
| Bi-metallic coin (Brass-plated steel center plug with a Nickel-plated steel outer ring) | Elephant; denomination in English and Swahili | |
5/= notes were replaced by coins in 1985, with the same happening to 10/= and 20/= in 1994 and 1998. In 1986, 200/= notes were introduced, followed by 500/= in 1988 and 1,000/= in 1994.
As with the coins, Kenyatta appeared on the banknotes issued until 1978, with Daniel arap Moi's portrait replacing him in 1980. In 2003, after Mwai Kibaki replaced Moi as president, 5/=, 10/=, and 20/= notes from the 1978 series with Kenyatta's picture that had been in storage were issued, and circulated for a time. A new series of notes was then introduced on which Kenyatta reappeared in denominations of 50/=, 100/=, 200/=, 500/= and 1,000/=. The issue of the 200/= banknote dated 12 December 2003 commemorates the "40 years of Independence 1963–2003". The banknotes are printed in Nairobi by security printer De La Rue.
On 31 May 2019, the Central Bank of Kenya issued a new family of banknotes without the portraits of known Kenyan individuals, as mandated by the Constitution of Kenya of 2010. At the same time, the Central Bank of Kenya has withdrawn all previous versions of the 1,000/= banknote. These remained legal tender until 1 October 2019. All of the banknotes for this series share a common design of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on the front side of the notes, and the back side of the notes feature images showcasing the richness of the people and nature of Kenya: "Green Energy" (50/=), "Agriculture" (100/=), "Social Services" (200/=), "Tourism" (500/=) and "Governance" (1,000/=). All five denominations also embody each of the big five animals of Africa: the buffalo (50/=), the leopard (100/=), rhinoceros (200/=), the lion (500/=) and the elephant (1,000/=).
The new KES 1,000 banknote will circulate concurrently with those from earlier series, maintaining the continuity of the currency in Kenya.
During the initial announcement of the updated banknotes, some online controversy arose after the Central Bank of Kenya's governor mentioned that a German company had been awarded the printing contract but did not specify the specific company. It was later revealed that the contract was awarded to Giesecke+Devrient Currency Technologies GmbH, a German firm, with the agreement set to last for five years.
| 20/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Baton; Moi International sports complex, Nairobi, jogger | Lion's head | |
| 50/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Caravan; Elephant tusks monument in Moi Avenue (formerly Kilindini Road), Mombasa | Lion's head | |
| 100/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Monument to the 25th anniversary of independence, Nairobi | Lion's head | |
| 200/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Unity monument, Nairobi | Lion's head | |
| 500/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Parliament building, Nairobi | Lion's head | |
| 1,000/= | President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi; Coat of arms of Kenya | Elephants | Lion's head | |
| President Jomo Kenyatta; Coat of arms of Kenya | Caravan; Elephant tusks monument in Moi Avenue (formerly Kilindini Road), Mombasa | Lion's head and electrotype 50 | ||
| President Jomo Kenyatta; Coat of arms of Kenya | Kenyatta statue; tower | Lion's head and electrotype 100 | ||
| President Jomo Kenyatta; Coat of arms of Kenya | Cotton harvest | Lion's head and electrotype 200 | ||
| President Jomo Kenyatta; Coat of arms of Kenya | Parliament building, Nairobi | Lion's head and electrotype 500 | ||
| President Jomo Kenyatta; Coat of arms of Kenya | Elephants | Lion's head and electrotype 1000 | ||
| Red | Coat of arms of Kenya; Statue of President Jomo Kenyatta; Kenyatta International Convention Centre; Buffalo | "Green Energy" (Wind Power, geothermal power, solar power) | Lion's head and electrotype 50 | |||
| Violet | Coat of arms of Kenya; Statue of President Jomo Kenyatta; Kenyatta International Convention Centre; Leopard | "Agriculture" (Cereal, agriculture, livestock) | Lion's head and electrotype 100 | |||
| Blue | Coat of arms of Kenya; Statue of President Jomo Kenyatta; Kenyatta International Convention Centre; Rhinoceros | "Social Services" (Health services, Education, sports) | Lion's head and electrotype 200 | |||
| Green | Coat of arms of Kenya; Statue of President Jomo Kenyatta; Kenyatta International Convention Centre; Lion | "Tourism" (Wildlife; Lion) | Lion's head and electrotype 500 | |||
| Brown | Coat of arms of Kenya; Statue of President Jomo Kenyatta; Kenyatta International Convention Centre; Elephant | "Governance" (Parliament building, Nairobi) | Lion's head and electrotype 1000 | |||
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