Kenya Currency

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The official currency unit is the Kenya Shilling, its abbreviation is KES or KSh, it replaced the East African Shiling in 1966; the Kenya Shilling is used also in places like Uganda and Southern Sudan.

A Kenyan Shilling is divided into 100 cents, coins are in denominations of 5, 10 and 50 cents and 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 shillings. Notes are issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 shillings. Usually 20KES is referred to as the "Kenya Pound".

CHANGING MONEY AND GETTING CASH :There are no regulations about of foreign currency that you can brought into Kenya. At your arrival you can change your money at the bank at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport, this banks are open 24-hour per day. The best places to exchange money are the major banks, bureaux de change and main hotels.

US Dollars, Euros and Pounds Sterling are the easiest currencies to exchange. Usually, costs in Kenya Shillings are more reasonable than costs in foreign currency. Before your departure you should change your excess Kenya shillings into foreign currency at an authorised center.

Many national and international banks have offices in most major cities including Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Thika, Eldoret, Kericho and Nyeri, Banks usually give a better exchange rate than hotels. Banks are open Monday to Friday, from 09:00 to 15:00 (16:30 in major cities) although many banks at the airport are open 24 hours every day

Traveller's checks are widely accepted, you can change your checks at banks, they have varying exchange rate charges

ATMs are available in most cities of Kenya, there are over 140 ATMs, this is the fastest and cheapest way to get money.

All the major Credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club Cards are widely accepted at many hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, outlets and safari companies.

Banking hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1500; 0900-1100 on the first and last Saturday of each month for Nairobi Banks.

For special customers with special accounts, banking hours can run upto 1700 hr. Most banks upcountry are open on Saturdays. Many of the banks and bureaux de change at the international airports open 24 hours a day.

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