Help us exchange the ‘expired’ Sh500, 000, Siaya family pleads

Kenyans had until September 30, 2019 to return the old Sh1000 notes. [File, Standard]

The family of Julius Mboga from Sirondho village in Siaya County now wants the Central Bank of Kenya Governor Patrick Njoroge to help him exchange his worthless Sh500, 000 in old Sh1000 notes.   

The 60-year-old Mbogo failed to beat the September 30 deadline set by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to exchange the old Sh1000 notes.

Mbogo, a retired mechanic at Brook Bond Kenya Limited in Limuru, received Sh1.5 million retirement dues in January 2019.

According to his brother Joseph Ouko, he could be mentally unwell after he was involved in motorcycle accident.

He argued that the state of his health could have triggered the confusion leading to him forgetting the deadline.

"He received money from his employer as a retirement package. He had initially banked it but one day woke up and started withdrawing his money from the bank," Ouko said.

When Standard Digital visited his home in Gem, they found he had traveled to Kisumu. According to his relatives, he does not have a mobile phone.

Mr Ouko noted that his brother has school going children in secondary school whom he takes care of and a wife who depends on him.

"My brother needs help due to his health situation…he has been using the money to pay school fees for his children and that is why we are appealing for help on how he can exchange the notes."

He added that Mboga has been keeping poultry which supplements his earnings.

"He does not want to interact with us as a family and anytime, I went to his house to talk to him, he would never allow me in. He usually spoke to me through the window and with the doors closed. I begged him to exchange his money before deadline," Ouko said.

Ouko added that at some point the family opted to keep off the matter so that they were not to be perceived as being interested in the money.

According to Mbogo’s brother he withdrew Sh200, 000 from his account at Equity bank in Siaya on June 14 before returning to collect another Sh300,00 two days later.