Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chairman, John Mbadi, speaking from Parliament on Tuesday revealed that the party wanted changes made to the deadline for the exchange of older notes for newer ones.
Mbadi emphasised that the opposition party wanted the date moved back to August 1, 2019, from the previously set October 1, 2019 date.
The National Assembly Minority leader urged governors to adjust the date so as to prevent the numerous money launderers within the country from finding another loophole to exploit.
He went on to urge other party members to desist from making contradictory statements regarding the new notes, more specifically the image of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's statue present in the new notes.
“Even the current notes bear Moi and Kenyatta's images. The KICC statue is still a portrait," he divulged.
However, he urged the Central Bank of Kenya to comply with the law of the land which prohibits the printing of notes with portraits of any individual.
"The ones that have been printed can be used but the new notes should comply with the law during the next printing,” Mbadi asserted.
The latest remarks by the ODM chair come a day after the issuance of the new currency was challenged in court by Activist, Okiya Omtatah, and East African Legislative Assembly MP, Simon Mbugua.
In their separate motions, the two are seeking to block the circulation of the new currency notes, citing various contraventions of the law such as the inclusion of the portrait of former President Mzee Kenyatta.
"Notes and coins issued by the Central Bank of Kenya may bear images that depict or symbolise Kenya or an aspect of Kenya but shall not bear the portrait of any individual," Article 231 (4).
Justice Weldon Korir on Tuesday referred the matter to the Chief Justice, David Maraga, after stating that matters raised were substantial and thus merited the attention of a supreme court bench.
