The Central Bank of Kenya has been awarded the Best New Series of banknotes at the High-Security Printing – Europe, Middle East and Africa (HSP-EMEA) Conference.

The award recognised CBK’s release of a new banknote series in August 2024. The citation took note of the enhanced security features, stating: ‘The full series comprises KES 1,000, 500, 200, 100 and 50 banknotes, with the same design as the notes they replace but with enhanced security in the form of Louisenthal’s RollingStar® i+ thread on each of the denominations. The three higher denominations – the KES 1000, 500 and 200 – utilise the ZigZag dynamic movement effect, while the two lower denominations – the KES 100 and 50 – utilise the Crystal effect. Additionally, the banknotes feature the use of iridescent bands with UV for each of the denominations, while dual colour fluorescence is also maintained as a secondary level security element against counterfeiting.’

The Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, Dr Kamau Thugge, said: ‘The award puts the Kenyan series of banknotes at the forefront of being appealing, secure and of world-class status. They utilise the latest technology to mitigate against counterfeiting, giving citizens assurance on the security of their currency.’

The award event was held on 4th February 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, and brought together security document players who focused on government-specified and issued documents, including currency, fiduciary documents, excise stamps, ID cards, e-passports, visas, vehicle documents and licences.

CBK announced the release of the new series in August 2024, starting with the KES 1,000 note and continuing with the KES 500, 200, 100, and 50 banknotes. The new series has been circulating alongside the 2019 series of banknotes.