A man in Embu county is still coming to terms with the loss of his money, which he says he lost to a fraudster purporting to be changing loose cash with the new notes.
According to Njue Nthia, a watchman from Karurina area, he was approached by the fraudster who took his Sh1,500 in loose cash, promising to give him the new notes.
He says that he gave him an additional Sh500 bringing the amount to Sh2,000, only to realise later that the notes were fake.
According to the elderly man, the entire deal happened inside the fraudster's vehicle, after he picked him by the roadside and proceeded to lure him into the deal.
"I was speaking to my relative on a street in Embu town when a blue car stopped near us and the driver stretched out his hand and greeted us. The driver who was about 50-years-old pretended to know me and offered to buy some tea before I entered into his car leaving my sister-in-law,” he recounted.
He added that attempts to use Sh1,000 to buy soda were futile after he was notified that it was fake, an observation that was confirmed by a third party whose opinion they sought.
“I gave him the second note only to tell me it was also fake. He called passersby who also confirmed that the notes were not genuine. The shopkeeper punched the notes and was left without a word. I didn’t know there were fake new currency notes,” he added.
The new notes were introduced during the Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.