Is it time the State accepts sweets as legal tender?

By Emmanuel Mwendwa

Is it by design that some chain stores issue 50-cent coins as change while roadside vendors reject them? Did the monetary regulator mint more of the coins than necessary? Are they legal tender?

These questions are mind-boggling. Since last year, urban shoppers are up in arms. Their bone of contention revolves around a stopgap measure to check shortage of coins but has become a form of "legal" currency exchange in local supermarkets.

The shortage of Sh1 coins seems to have persisted making sly tellers to dish out sweets for unwanted 50 cents

Sweets-for-coins

Regular shoppers have had to contend with the option of taking sweets, rather than the coins.

But, those who dislike sweets are compelled to walk around the supermarket aisles looking for additional items, whose cost is enough to tilt the scales and balance their expenditure to an amount that does not require change in form of coins.

"On average, I have to re-stock basic household items once a week, whose retail costs are priced in a way that my change is in coins," says Naomi Okare, a housewife.

So far, she admits to having lost count of equivalent value of coins she leaves behind when she visits the supermarket. And, the cashiers manning the counters literally force her to take an assortment of sweets in exchange for due change.

Polite notice

Ideally, this form of transaction may be acceptable, and even above board since most retail outlets have posted a notice, which reads: ‘Dear customers, we are temporarily experiencing an acute shortage of one (1) shilling coins. Kindly bear with us — by management".

These notices were posted early last year. Months later, they are still strategically placed within eye-level, close to the payment counters.

Angry consumers are now wondering how long the ‘temporary’ shortage will. But of concern to hundreds of consumers is the flipside of the ‘polite’ disclaimers.

"How long shall customers bear the brunt of coins are unlawfully transformed into legal tender?" poses a banker who requested anonymity.

He said the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has not come clean on the alleged shortage of the Sh1 coins, a move that would legally sanction supermarket claims. "The CBK needs to provide answers for the sake of thousands of customers. We feel cheated," remarks Ms Faridah Kalume.

Isolated incidents have been reported at cashier counters whereby irate shoppers cause a commotion, derailing smooth flow of customer service, demanding hard-earned coins rather than sweets.

Legal tender

"It is time the Government accepts sweets as legal tender or order for the minting Sh1 coins to ensure supermarkets do not run out of small change?" says Kalume.

In three months, freelance electrical technician Allan Odera, concedes to loosing about Sh900 in held back change substituted with sweets.

Concerned customers want supermarket chains to devise a practical compensation instead.