By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya

The Central Bank of Kenya on Tuesday launched new coins with features to assist visually impaired persons.

The new coins will depict the country's wildlife with a giraffe, rhino, lion and elephant emblemed on the 1, 5, 10 and 20 Kenyan shilling coins, respectively. The patterns can be easily felt by the visually impaired.

The ceremony to launch the new currency was presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kenyatta said: “A nation’s currency is not merely an instrument for exchange of value. Beyond being a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account, the motifs and design elements in currencies present a unique way of recording history, celebrating a country’s diverse culture or natural environment.”

Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge said that circulation had kicked off with immediate effect but noted that the old coins will be phased out gradually.