NAIROBI  –  As lovers across the globe hunt for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for their partner, sweethearts in Kenya are being warned against one grand expression of affection, lest they become a partner in crime. The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) implored the public not to risk breaking the law by defacing banknotes, in a press release issued on Friday, amid a “growing trend” of bouquets made of cash. Bunches of Kenyan shilling banknotes arranged into floral-like arrangements risk “compromising the integrity” of the currency, the bank said, with the frequent use of glue, staples and pins leaving notes “unsuitable for circulation.”  “This results in increased rejection of banknotes during processing and leads to the premature withdrawal and replacement of currency, at an avoidable cost to the public and the Bank,” the statement read.  “While CBK does not object to the use of cash as a gift, such use should not involve any action that alters, damages, or defaces banknotes,” it added. Anyone who makes cash bouquets risks prosecution under the Kenyan Penal Code, which outlines that the willful mutilation of currency notes — be it through defacing, tearing or cutting — is an offense. Those found guilty could face up to three months in prison, a maximum 2,000 shilling ($15.50) fine, or both, the code states. Kenya isn’t the only African country to have cautioned the public against such grand romantic gestures.  In March 2023, the Bank of Ghana’s director of the Currency Department urged people not to use cedi notes in cash hampers and bouquets, while in Nigeria, the “spraying” of naira cash notes at weddings has been increasingly cracked down upon in recent years, according to the BBC.  Fortunately for those looking for a safer substitute, Kenya is not short on traditional bouquets.

The East African country exported $780 million worth of cut flowers in 2024, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), with only the Netherlands ($4.26 billion), Colombia ($1.42 billion) and Ecuador ($950 million) exporting more.

That made flowers Kenya’s third biggest export for the year, behind tea and refined petroleum, the OEC added, with roses alone accounting for over 70% ($552 million) of the money generated from the industry.