As lovers around the world search for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for their partners, lovers in Kenya are being warned against making grand displays of affection to avoid becoming partners in crime.
With cash bouquets on the rise, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in a press release on Monday urged people not to risk breaking the law by defacing banknotes.
The bank said the bundle of Kenyan shilling notes, arranged like a flower, had frequent use of adhesives, staples and pins, rendering the notes “unfit for circulation” and risking “compromising the integrity” of the currency.
“This results in increased rejection of banknotes during processing, leading to premature currency withdrawals and exchanges, resulting in avoidable costs for citizens and banks,” the statement said.
“CBK does not oppose the use of cash as gifts, but such use should not involve tampering with, damaging or defacing banknotes,” it added.
Anyone who makes a bouquet of cash risks prosecution under the Kenyan Criminal Code. The law stipulates that it is a crime to deface, tear, mutilate, or otherwise intentionally mutilate banknotes.
The law states that those found guilty could face up to three months in prison, a fine of up to 2,000 shillings ($15.50), or both.
Kenya is not the only African country to warn its citizens against such grandiose and romantic acts.
According to the BBC, in March 2023, the Bank of Ghana’s Director of Currency urged people not to use cedi notes in cash baskets or flower bouquets, but in recent years Nigeria has stepped up crackdowns on the “sprinkling” of naira notes at weddings, according to the BBC.
Fortunately for those looking for safer alternatives, Kenya has no shortage of traditional bouquets.
According to the Office of Economic Complexity (OEC), the East African country will export $780 million worth of cut flowers in 2024, with only the Netherlands ($4.26 billion), Colombia ($1.42 billion) and Ecuador ($950 million) exporting more.
This made flowers Kenya’s third-largest export this year after tea and refined oil, with roses alone accounting for more than 70 per cent ($552 million) of the value generated by the industry, the OEC added.
