The Central Bank of Kenya Act cap 491, mandated the printing and minting of the Kenyan shilling currency.

This pattern was modelled on sterling's pre-decimal notation, in which amounts were written in some combination of pounds (£), shillings (s), and pence (d, for denarius).

A bi-metallic 40/= coin with the portrait of then-President Mwai Kibaki was issued in 2003 to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of Kenyan independence (1963).

All of the coins depict the national Coat of arms of Kenya on the obverse and images of Africa's recognisable animals on the reverse.

[5] Sellers and consumers alike, especially within the rural areas, have increasingly rejected the 50 cents and 1 shilling coins, despite assurances from the Central Bank of Kenya regarding their continued validity.

All of the notes feature a portrait of Kenya's first prime minister and president, Jomo Kenyatta, on the front and diverse economic activities on the back.

In 2003, after Mwai Kibaki replaced Moi as president, 5/=, 10/=, and 20/= notes from the 1978 series with Kenyatta's picture that had been in storage were issued, and circulated for a time.

All of the banknotes for this series share a common design of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on the front side of the notes, and the back side of the notes feature images showcasing the richness of the people and nature of Kenya: "Green Energy" (50/=), "Agriculture" (100/=), "Social Services" (200/=), "Tourism" (500/=) and "Governance" (1,000/=).

This newly released banknote retains a similar design to the previous series but features several key updates.