The High Court ruled in favour of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), in a petition which questioned the inclusion of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's statue in the new banknotes.

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Activist Okiya Omtata and East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) lawmaker Simon Mbugua on June 4 filed separate petitions against the same.

They argued that no person's image should be included in the new notes.

The petitioners posit that the new design Kenyan currency banknotes are unconstitutional and, therefore, invalid, null and void, because they violate Article 231(4) of the Constitution to the extent that they bear the portrait of the late President Jomo Kenyatta,” read Omtata's petition.

But the court on Friday found the bills legal, ruling that the statue is part of one Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), whose inclusion is legal.

Omtatah had also sued Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki for allegedly publishing new laws to regulate the circulation of the new notes.

He said that he AG sneaked in the new law to after realizing that the introduction of the notes by the CBK was illegal, and wanted the legal notice published by the AG suspended pending hearing and determination of his suit.

The old Sh1000 notes will no longer be in use from September 30, after which the new notes, which are already in circulation, will completely take over.